The Family You Make
by AgoodWITCH
Summary: SEQUEL to "Dance with Me." Bella & Edward have found their happily ever after, but life still isn't easy as the two try to start a family around Bella's medical history. Will the stress of it & Edward's career be too much for them? AH
1. Prologue

**Alright everyone, this is the sequel to **_**Dance with Me**_**, my first fanfic. If you haven't read that, then go read it before you start this, because it won't make much sense otherwise. This is finally back on here and the newest chapter, will be up soon so please alert this so you will get the updates after this blast is done!  
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**I don't own Twilight, I just own my brain, and for now that's enough.**

**EPOV**

From the moment I heard Bella's incoherent message of broken sobs and shallow breaths my heart was gone. It hadn't dropped into my feet, or jumped into my throat; it was ripped from my chest and took up residence beside her, waiting for me to find them both again. I couldn't drive quickly enough, inwardly cursing myself for this camping trip with the boys, as the miles sped by.

After the impossible message that I had heard this morning, I hiked a little farther to get better service and called Rosalie. What she could tell me wasn't much, but it didn't sound good either. Bella was devastated, but the reception was shit so I couldn't make out why, and Bella didn't want anyone else but me. Alice was worried too, but not even my mother could get her to open the bedroom door. What had happened to make my love shut herself in like this? My mind was racing but any possibility became too scary to think about without solid answers, so I simply pushed my foot forward and watched the car pick up speed.

I was surprised that Emmett let me drive his Jeep, but I guess he didn't want to fight with me, so he simply let it go.

Forty miles from Seattle, which meant in an hour I would be pulling Bella into my arms and finally getting some answers. I just tried to make it back home, and as the miles continued to pass I was even more on edge, if that was possible.

Finally we entered the city limits and I maneuvered the city traffic before pulling up outside the building. We had passed the bar eight blocks ago, so I knew it was still standing, which meant that whatever this was, was personal.

I jumped out and grabbed my bag, not even saying good-bye to Emmett or Jasper before running to the elevator. I rode up to our floor and stepped out making my way to our condo. I put my key in the door and threw my bags down. All of the lights were off and I could hear Bella's sobs in the bedroom. As I came into the apartment, I scooped up the phone and scrolled through the frantic phone log of missed calls from my family to see the last call Bella answered, trying to see if that could give me a clue, and when I saw it, I knew immediately what was wrong.

I had to remind myself to breathe as I threw the phone onto the couch and made my way to the bedroom, tears streaming down my cheeks. I opened the door and saw Bella lying there, clutching onto my pillow, crying uncontrollably. I jumped onto the middle of the bed and wrapped my left arm under her while pulling my pillow from her with my right. She rolled into my chest and grabbed hold of my shirt as I pulled her closer and cried with my wife, giving her a moment before she spoke.


	2. Plans, Parties & Portland

**Disclaimer: The Twilight Saga is the property of Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**This chapter is going to start to set the pace for this story. Time will move much quicker in this one because I plan to span years instead of months. It won't be too jumpy, but more like the last few chapters of _DwM_.**

**BPOV**

Why did I think I could plan this wedding in less than six months! I'm looking around my dining room table at the stacks of magazines and the different information packets on possible vendors and the checklist, which is the source of my current anxiety, and let out a strangled moan.

"You okay, love?" Edward was in the bedroom getting ready for a meeting with his publishers about his novel, a novel he won't let know the title of, let alone read!

"No! This wedding is going to be the death of me. I have no idea what I'm doing, and there is so much to do."

Edward came out and placed his hands on my shoulders before leaning in to whisper in my ear. "We could always elope."

"Over my dead body!" Alice walked in with Rose and Leah in tow, her hand resting on her little baby bump, and a binder in her hand.

"Why did we give her a key again?" Edward joked and Alice just scowled.

"So I can help Bella out when you go off jet setting for your book or movie or whatever media you're branching out into this week. Hey sweetie, any luck?"

Alice sat next to me and opened the binder, where there were folders and sections for each aspect of the wedding.

Edward gave Rose and Leah a quick peck before giving me a kiss and making his way to Alice. He kissed her before leaning down to rub her belly. "You keep mommy in line, okay little one?" Edward looked up at Alice and then made his way towards the door. "I'm gonna get out of here while I can still remember who holds the record for most consecutive games played by a baseball player."

And with that, I was in the lion's den. "Okay, why don't we start out easy? You go to the venue on Saturday afternoon for the menu and cake selection, so that will be all set. That's a big one; not having to worry about the catering will make this a lot easier. Now, flowers, what did you think about the florists you met with?"

"Well, the first place was really nice, but they haven't gotten back to me about what the flowers would look like. And the woman at the second place was a bitch. Any time I mentioned what I liked, she would tell me that I didn't really want that. So now I'm trying to find another florist to consult with."

Just then, there was a knock at the door and Leah came in a minute later with a floral arrangement in a simple glass vase, and a box. She sat them in front of me and I opened the box, taking the card while Rose pulled out a beautiful bouquet, and I read the card aloud.

"Sorry for the delay, but it took a little longer getting some of the samples. Based on the winter wedding theme, and the red, white and green colors, I pulled together this possible centerpiece and bridal bouquet. We can do variations on either, but I wanted to show the different flowers we could use. Please let us know what you think and if you would like to know other flowers we could use in the arrangements. Sincerely, Heavenly Arrangements."

"Oh my God, that's amazing. I can't believe they sent you a sample of both." Alice was astounded by the fact that we had these two arrangements in front of us. The centerpiece was perfect; it was a simple arrangement of red amaryllis with berries wrapped around the stems, almost like a bow. The bouquet on the other hand was gorgeous. It had red and white roses, gardenias, eucalyptus, holly and berries and green baby's breath.

"This is exactly what I wanted. All the things I told her I liked, that the other florist said wouldn't work. Get me the phone, I'm booking her."

Leah handed me the phone while I hashed out some of the details and asked to have a contract sent over so I could review it and then meet with Beth, the owner of Heavenly Arrangements, before signing it and making all the final decisions with her. I put both of the floral arrangements in water and then put the bouquet in the living room and the centerpiece on the bar.

After I got off the phone Alice went back to her enormous check-list. Edward wanted the same priest that married his parents, Emmett and Rose, and Alice and Jasper, to officiate our wedding, so that decision had already been made. We were also using the same photographer and videographer that Rose had gotten for Alice, and Nicole, the DJ at Charlie's Place had impressed Edward enough with her experience as a special events DJ that we had hired her, and would sit down with her tomorrow when we were in Portland for the opening of Charlie's Place. This, at the moment, was another source of anxiety for me.

Alice was babbling as I continued to drift in my nervous state until I heard her talk about selecting photos for the site. "What site?"

"You're page on 'the knot' silly, I've already helped Leah set it up, since I became a master during my engagement, but now she's officially taken it over."

"Alice, I don't-" I started to argue but was quickly silenced.

"Bella, please. I feel dizzy and nauseous still, my belly just popped this week, and I'm going to look like a cow by the time I squeeze into my bridesmaid dress, let me have a little fun with this."

I looked to Leah for help, but she and Alice were officially the "them" I had heard so much about, with Edward and I standing firm on the "us" side of things. I shook my head in quiet surrender as we moved on to discuss the block of rooms we had put on hold for our out of town guests to reserve once their RSVP's were in, registering for our gifts, and the truly terrifying dress shopping with a hormonal Alice. All would be handled next week, so at least I had time to prepare.

By the time Edward came home, my piles were all in the huge binder, which Alice left with me, and I had a list of tasks to get through tonight. I heard the door open and looked up to see a slightly defeated look on his face.

"Baby, what happened?" I rushed to his side and wrapped my arms around him.

"I got in an argument with one of my editors about something in the book, but everything is okay now, so the book is officially put to bed. Then after all that they started discussing tours and tie-ins and I don't even want to think about that yet. I can't wait for this book to be out and over with. How was your afternoon?"

I rolled my eyes and looked back at the table. "It isn't over yet. I hate to do this because you've had a bad day, but we have to firm up the guest list so I can send out the save-the-date cards."

Edward growled. "Can we do it after dinner?"

I smiled at him and kissed his jaw. "Sure, what are you in the mood for tonight?"

"Want to get pizza? I don't want anything complicated." Edward kissed my hair and made his way to the bedroom as the phone rang.

"Hello."

"Hi, is this Isabella Swan?" A deep voice asked on the other end.

"Yes it is."

"Isabella, my name is Tony from Executive Limousines, I'm calling to let you know that we received your contract and everything is set for your reservation on December 9th of this year."

I sighed, at least this was easy. "Thank you, you have a good night."

"You too ma'am." The line disconnected as Edward emerged in his pajamas.

"Who was on the phone?" He wrapped his arms around my waist and started kissing my neck.

"The limo company calling to let me know that everything is taken care of. Now I'm going to order dinner."

An hour later we were enjoying some pizza as my eyes drifted to the box of save-the-date cards. "I'm almost afraid to ask what's in the box."

I laughed and pulled out the printed mailing labels and sat them between us. "I need you to cut five more people from the list; it has to be 120 guests max."

"Okay let me see this." Edward looked over the labels and grabbed a pen, crossing out labels as he counted the five guests he uninvited. "There, now are we done for the night?"

I giggled at his enthusiasm for the planning to be over so I smiled down at him and handed him the special folder. "Here, I want you to start looking through this, that way we can book our honeymoon."

Edward looked at me with a strange smirk before throwing the folder on the floor. "I don't need to look at that, I already know where I'm taking you for our honeymoon."

"Really…where?" There was something about the twinkle in his eye that both excited and scared the hell out of me.

"Nope, I'm not telling you anything. I'm booking it next week, so I thought I should let you know that you don't have to worry about those details. I wanted to take care of something for you."

I got up and walked over to him, sitting on his lap and kissing his Adam's apple. "Are you sure I can't persuade you to tell me where we're going?"

"No." I continued to kiss down his neck to his collarbone, and then ran my nails over his clothed chest. "It is somewhere warm, that's all I'm telling you. And Alice knows already, because she's helping me with the registry for it."

"Registry?" I stopped as I looked up at him.

"Yeah, we don't really need too much for the house, so I found out that where I'm taking you has different packages for activities, so Alice is creating a registry so people can decide what to get us and then when we get there, we just choose when we want to go and it is already paid for."

"That's awesome, how did you find it?"

"Well, Hawaii has something similar, but what we did was create our own website, and hooked it up to a PayPal account, so people choose something and 'buy it', and the money goes into the account and then we have that money to book the different things when we get there. The only difference is, some places do it for you, but in this case, we're doing it ourselves. It makes it more personal than just giving cash, because they know it went towards the trip. Alice can show you the site, it explains it all there, and you can see it because it doesn't say where we're going either." I scowled and Edward guffawed under me, causing me to shake before I stood up and addressed the last 60 save-the-date cards before putting them all in the box so I could mail them in the morning.

"Baby, you're not mad that I'm keeping the honeymoon a secret…are you?" Edward asked as he followed me into the bedroom after I had cleaned up the dining room.

"No, I'm just nervous about tomorrow, so much is riding on the opening of Charlie's Place and I want it to go well."

I felt Edward's hand on my waist as he spun me around to face him. "Bella, everything is going to be fine tomorrow, if I have to jump behind the bar myself to keep things running smoothly. This bar is going to be a huge success, I can feel it."

"And everything is set up with the hotels and Rose got a sitter for the kids and everything?"

He took my face in his hands and smiled down at me before kissing my chastely. "Yes, all you have to worry about tomorrow is looking amazing and enjoying yourself."

I sighed and climbed into bed as we turned on Conan and fell asleep watching his crazy antics.

**EPOV**

From the moment Bella woke up this morning, she was a nervous wreck. She flew around the apartment trying to get things ready and calling Jake to see that things were going smooth on his end. By the time she got off the phone with him I grabbed her around the waist and threw her over my shoulder.

"Edward, what are you doing?" Bella squawked as she playfully hit my back before she flew forward as I dumped her on the bed and climbed on top of her.

"I'm trying to calm you the hell down. I can think of a much better way to release all this pent up energy." I used the husky tone that I knew made her melt as I nibbled and sucked on her earlobe. The moan that escaped her a moment later made me smile against the skin of her neck as I felt her pulse quicken under my lips. "That's more like it."

Bella skillfully used her feet to push off my pajama bottoms and gasped as she realized I had gone commando last night. As I kicked the pants off my hands immediately ran up her thighs and hooked into the waistband of her panties, pulling them off. Bella's hands pulled up her nightgown, revealing her breasts to me, which I quickly took advantage of. Kissing Bella with all the passion I had, I massaged her breasts, earning a moan that vibrated through me. As I continued to tease her she growled and bucked her hips into mine and I smiled against her lips as I slid into her.

I moved inside her and loved every bit of her as she anticipated my motions and reciprocated them. I could feel the anticipation of my orgasm building and in a split second decision I pulled out of Bella, leaving her looking confused where she lay under me. "Bella, get on all fours."

Her eyes widened and darkened as she got in position in front of me and I entered her again. I was being more brazen with Bella than normal, but we had been together for seven months, and were engaged to be married for crying out loud, I should be able to tell her what I want. In the new position neither of us lasted long, and my forehead was soon resting on her back as we both panted out 'I love you' before I went to take a shower.

Before the water was even tempered to a comfortable level I felt Bella wrap her arms around me. "Mind if I join you?"

I winked and I carried Bella into the shower and placed her under the spray. Bella pushed me against the shower wall and slid her hands down my chest as she kissed me passionately, our tongues fighting for dominance.

Bella pulled back and placed a kiss dead center on my chest, before starting a trail southward as her body sunk to the shower floor. I stared down at her in quiet awe, because I knew Bella was a little self-conscious about going down on me, because she didn't think she was any good at it, which was _so_ far from the truth it wasn't funny.

She smiled up through her lashes and then took my base in her hand, sinking the heat of her mouth down over me. I shuddered against the cold tile at the sensations her mouth was causing. I reached down and tangled my fingers in her hair as she continued to work over me. She knew the rhythm I needed and kept it up, alternating between using her teeth and tongue to tease me on her way up. I panted her name as she continued and when her hand slipped from my length as I hit the back of her throat, I roared her name like a fucking lion as I came unexpectedly. But instead of being annoyed that I hadn't given her any warning, Bella smirked up at me and kissed my right hip before standing in front of me again.

I panted out, "Whatever asshole…told you that you were bad…at…_that_…was a fucking liar!" Bella just laughed and I leaned down to kiss her before we set to actually showering and then headed into the bedroom to get dressed for the day.

By 1pm everyone had arrived and we were trying to convince Alice to ride with our parents and have Emmett and Rose with us in Bella's Rondo. She refused to drive though, so it would be me and Mandy, the female voice on her TomTom, who would be getting us safely to Portland. Bella finally convinced Alice that she needed her help with some shopping in Portland, and since they were also getting ready in her hotel room, that she wanted three hours with me where the wedding wouldn't be the topic of conversation, to which Alice finally agreed.

It was 1:30 by the time we climbed into Bella's car, with my dad following behind in my mom's new Lexus RX hybrid. I shook my head at the fact that both my mother and my fiancée owned crossovers, but they loved their cars and I had to hand it to them, the cars suited them well.

We took to the highway and Emmett grumbled from the backseat that he wished he could have driven, but we all decided that we didn't need four cars for a one day trip to Oregon. As the miles passed, Bella began to tense up and I reached over, taking her hand in mine and rubbing my thumb along hers.

"Bella, why are you so freaked out?" Emmett asked from the backseat. Emmett was never the type to get anxious or flustered, so the idea of panicking over something like this baffled him.

"Because Emmett, I sunk every dime I got from my dad's house in this bar, and if it isn't successful then it would have all been for nothing. Plus, I'm not there every day, so I have no idea what I'm walking into tonight." Bella's breathing stuttered and I brought her hand up to kiss it.

"Babe, Jake is beyond capable, that's why you chose him. And if there was a problem he would have told you. Everything is going to be fine tonight."

Bella let out a deep breath and relaxed into the seat. From the back seat, I heard the loud smack that meant I had done something to land Emmett in the dog house.

"Why can't you ever be loving and romantic and supportive like that to me?" Rosalie muttered with a scowl in her voice as well as on her face.

"Honey, we've been married for nine years, romance for us is me leaving you the last slice of pizza while I bring the boys upstairs to get them changed for bed."

The car erupted into laughter and Bella turned to look back at Rose. "He's come a long way from the guy who used to bring you 'roses for his Rose.'"

I choked at the sheer sentimentality of it until Rose fired back. "Don't laugh Mr. 'To my lily among roses.'"

I froze as Emmett turned to me and then looked at Bella. "When did you two gang up on us, during one of your wedding planning sessions?"

Bella shook her head and laughed. "Nope. I've known about the flowers since 2002."

My brow furrowed, and it was Rose that answered the unspoken question. "Bella and I talked about lots of stuff when we first met, and she was fascinated by Emmett a little bit, she was blown away that I had someone who loved me enough to go through all of this with me. She acted like she never thought she'd find it."

Bella squeezed my hand. "If I was smart, I would have asked Rose if she had a brother-in-law and saved us all seven years." We all laughed again as I kept Bella's hand in mine for the rest of the trip.

When we arrived in Portland, Rose stayed in the backseat as Emmett, Bella and I got out. After a quick kiss and a honk of the horn from Alice, who had already climbed in the passenger's seat, Bella climbed in and drove off as the rest of us checked into our hotel rooms for the night.

**BPOV**

Alice was bouncing in the passenger's seat as we made our way to the small boutiques that Alice had googled and insisted that we shopped at while in the city. As we stepped into the first one I smiled wide because I knew I could find something special here. As we walked around the store that had everything imaginable to be personalized, I wandered around as Alice and Rose wove their own paths through the store.

I was standing in front of some beautiful champagne flutes when a soft-spoken woman with thin glasses appeared beside me. "See anything you like?"

I motioned to the glass I had been admiring and she picked it off the shelf. "I'm getting married, and I thought these might be nice as a favor, but I wasn't sure about it because I always assumed they would be too expensive."

She smiled at me and tipped the glass. "The price is all based on how many you order, so if you were planning on getting them for your wedding then you would probably be ordering a larger number. I'm sure we can work something out."

Alice and Rose found me as I told them about the idea and they smiled too, loving the idea. "I was thinking of ordering the full 120, that way I have enough for everyone and any extras there are can make up a set for Edward and I."

Lucy, as I soon learned her name, smiled brightly and pulled out a book of designs. "You can choose any of these images to have etched into the glasses as well as your names and date info. Now, if you decide to go for 120 glasses I can give you them for…" she flipped through the book and then stopped on a pricing page on the back. "$4.95 a glass and we'll ship them to you in Seattle for free. Now, let me know what design you like and I'll set up the order for you."

Lucy walked away and I looked at Alice and Rose. "What do you think?"

Rose smiled and took my hand. "I think it's perfect. Do you think Edward will like it?"

I nodded. "I mentioned it to him a while ago and he liked the idea."

Alice beamed as she gripped my arm. "So…which design do you like?"

I pointed to the holly and berries picture and they both nodded. I went to Lucy to let her know the design I wanted when I noticed the case filled with desk items under us. I quickly ordered the favors and my present for Edward while Rose and Alice went down the street to the maternity store Alice wanted to look at.

After the order was placed, I ducked into a small jewelry store and fell in love with a necklace for the girls as a bridesmaid's gift. I knew I wanted the girls in red, so this would work perfectly for them to wear on the day. I had them wrapped and made my way to meet up with the girls.

Around 7pm, we made our way back to the hotel to get ready. I quickly set my hair in curlers as I began my make-up. I was anxious to see Edward because he was the only one who could quiet my nerves, but Alice kept insisting that I would see him soon enough. As I finished pinning my hair, Alice came up behind me with a mid-thigh length dark blue cocktail dress. She was in a green and black dress, although she was wearing black tights, and Rose looked stunning in a red cocktail dress with a large bow on her waist.

I put on the dress and fussed with the asymmetrical top before Alice swatted my hand away and handed me a pair of heels that made it obvious she was living vicariously through me at the moment, because she slipped into her kitten heels with a frown.

Her phone buzzed and we grabbed our purses and made our way to the elevator so we could meet our men down in the lobby along with Carlisle and Esme.

**EPOV**

As I stood in front of the elevator, Jasper and Emmett snickered behind me and I heard them whisper something akin to 'pussy whipped' before I turned to glare at them.

"Boys, leave him alone, tonight's a big deal for Bella and he wants to see it go well. Don't tease him about it." My mom reprimanded them and there was silence as the numbers finally began to light up and the doors opened.

Bella looked stunning, she was wearing a short dark blue dress and I loved the way it showed off her legs. Her hair was down, but pinned out of her face and her warm chocolate eyes were focused on me. I walked up and pulled her to me, kissing her with everything I had until Emmett's attempt at a subtle throat clearing forced me to release my girl.

"You look so beautiful Bella, there aren't even words."

I took her hand as we made our way to the hotel restaurant where we had an 8:30 reservation before we headed over to the bar at 10:15 so we were there the moment Jake opened the doors.

All throughout dinner we talked about the wedding and Alice's pregnancy and the latest news from Denali, while Bella picked at her food and pushed it around, trying to make it look like she ate more than she had. "Are you okay love?"

"I don't feel well. I know it's the nerves, but still."

I rubbed my hand along her thigh and I noticed that she looked a little pale. "Bella, have you eaten today?"

She looked into my eyes and smiled. "I couldn't, my stomach's been in knots all day."

I whispered to her, "Why don't we go for a walk, try to get your mind off of it, or at least get you a bagel or something to settle your stomach." She nodded and I took her hand. "We're going to get some air; we'll meet you at the bar."

Bella and I stood up and said goodbye to my family before we made our way to the street. Bella continued to fidget as we walked and by 9:30 I gave up on calming her on my own. I walked her to the bar and knocked on the door.

"What are you doing?" Bella chided me as the door opened.

"Hey guys, I'm surprised you held out this long." Jake smiled before letting us in.

"You expected us early?" I asked a little surprised.

"I knew Bella would be nervous, so I was expecting her anytime after 5pm, you almost made it to the opening, I'm proud of you. Now go grab a couch and I'll bring you both a drink."

As Bella looked around she relaxed and settled into one of the couches. "It really is going to be fine, isn't it?"

I nodded and kissed her. "By the end of the night you will be the owner of the new college hotspot."

We sat there on the couch and I finally began to calm down as Bella did, because I was starting to get nervous that my dad would have to give her a tranquilizer to calm her. Jake came over to get us another drink and then winked at Bella.

"Here goes everything, relax and enjoy the success."

The bouncer opened the door and Alice and Jasper were the first to come in as the level of the music went up and Nik started working it. My family was around me in a moment, taking seats on the surrounding chairs and next to us on the couch. We were all settling in when we heard the hoot from the bar as Leah made her way to us and Bella sat on my lap to make room for her.

"Way to go girl, this place is awesome!"

Bella laughed and shook her head. "What is this 1996?" Leah joined in and then Bella hugged her. "Thanks, I needed this to go well."

"Bella, this place is charming, it has such character." My mom beamed at her and she smiled, I knew my mom's opinion mattered a lot.

Emmett came back with Jasper and drinks for the group. "Bella, I'm sure your dad would have loved this place." My dad smiled and Bella sighed next to me.

Emmett looked at us and then raised his beer. "To Charlie, for making this place possible, and for having a girl who turned out to be the perfect addition to our family."

I looked up at Emmett with such gratitude as Bella sat misty eyed next to me. "To Charlie." I raised my glass as everyone else raised their glasses and toasted Charlie as well.

The music got to be more hip and my parents held out until around midnight before they hugged Bella and congratulated her again before heading back to the hotel. Once our parents were gone my siblings and I had the same idea as we pulled our better halves to the floor and began grinding to the music.

Bella finally let go as she saw how packed the place was and overheard the patrons all raving about how they loved the relaxed atmosphere and the prospect of live music on a regular basis. Around 2am Alice started complaining that her feet were bothering her so her and Jasper cut out. Soon after, Leah resurfaced with a jarhead looking guy in tow.

Bella and she began talking in hushed tones before Leah grabbed the guys arm and brought him closer to the rest of us. "Everyone, this is Eli, he's a Captain in the Army." She was beaming and Bella just laughed and shook her head as Leah introduced us to him and he shook our hands. He seemed like a decent guy, but for Leah's sake I was going to keep my eye on him.

Next a fast salsa beat came pouring out of the speakers and Leah grabbed Bella and the two of them were instantly spinning and dancing like pros. I leaned back and Eli settled in next to me and watched the two of them dance. "Congratulations, Leah was telling me that you and Bella just got engaged."

"Yeah, that tiny dancer over there is my whole world. So, you from around here?"

"No, I'm from New York. I came from a long line of soldiers, so I went to med school and then went into Officer Training and joined the 62nd Medical Brigade."

I have to admit, I was impressed. "Have you been oversees?"

"Twice, once in Afghanistan and I just got back from Iraq. I'm finishing up my residency, but it's hard when you have to take a year or so off at a time."

His eyes wandered to Bella and Leah and he smiled. "They really do get on like sisters. It's overwhelming at times, so if you see Leah again, try not to make any sudden movements, especially when the topic of the wedding comes up."

He looked at me a little shocked. "Why wouldn't I see her again? If you're trying to give me the whole, 'she's like a sister to me so you better be good to her,' you're too late. Your Bella gave me that talking to over the phone three weeks ago."

Now it was my turn to be shocked. "You didn't meet Leah tonight?"

Eli shook his head. "I've been seeing her for a month; Portland is a little out of the way from the base for just a random night out on the town."

I shook my head and then turned my attention back to our girls.

After the second song ended I grabbed Bella and tried to keep up with her as she tried to teach me how to move my hips with the beat. I felt Emmett tap my shoulder ten minutes later as he and Rose headed out and a little while later Bella turned to Leah and smiled. "We have a meeting with the caterer tomorrow; we better go back to the hotel room and get a good night's rest."

Leah gave us both a hug as did Eli, as I teased her about not giving me a heads up about her new man, to which the girls just laughed.

A few blocks down we were walking past a 24 hour McDonalds and Bella stopped and then swayed as her eyelids fluttered. "Bella?"

I steadied her against my chest, wrapping my arms around her waist. "I'm just a little lightheaded; can I get something to eat in there?"

I nodded and lead her inside. As we walked up to the counter Bella shivered at the temperature drop from the summer night to the frigid fast food restaurant. I slipped out of my blazer and slid it on her arms as she pulled it closed and ordered.

"Can I have a Big N' Tasty meal with a Sprite." The girl behind the counter looked at me and I shook my head before paying for Bella's meal.

We got her food and sat at one of the bright tables and Bella dug into her burger. "You're not hungry?"

I smiled and reached across the table to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. "No, I'm just glad that you're feeling better. I don't like seeing you all stressed out like that, it worries me. And then when you almost passed out back there-" I cut myself off, not wanting to think about Bella like that, even if she was just dizzy from being hungry.

Bella took a sip and then looked up from her food. "I'm sorry, it's just that I needed everything to go well tonight and when I get that anxious I don't really eat, it's a bad habit from when I was younger."

"Well from now on eat crackers or something, you scared me."

Bella reached across and stroked my face. "Edward I'm sorry, the last thing I wanted was to pass on my anxiety to you. I'm still not used to someone paying so close attention to me. Thank you for taking such good care of me."

I pointed to her nearly empty tray of food and she pushed it away. I grabbed it and threw out the food before going to the table and taking her hand. We walked back to the hotel and were soon in bed, cuddling under the thick comforter.

**BPOV**

The first thing that pulled me out of my slumber was the sad moan from Edward. I opened my eyes and turned back to see Edward's face contorted into one of pain and anguish and I couldn't fathom what could have him so upset. "Edward?"

The moment I spoke his arms tightened around me and he began sobbing into my back as his grip continued to tighten. "Edward? Ow, Edward wake up. Edward!"

The last exclamation woke him as he loosened his grip slightly and I spun around in his arms to comfort him. "Edward, what were you dreaming about, you looked so sad."

Edward buried his face in my neck and took deep steadying breaths. "Thank God…oh God."

"Edward?" I took his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me.

He took a deep breath. "I dreamt that…you were…"

He stopped again and I urged him to continue. "I was what?"

"Dead." His voice spoke in a whisper as it broke on the word and I pulled him to my chest.

"Baby, I'm not going anywhere. What brought this on, me almost fainting tonight? Because really, that was nothing."

Edward was quiet as I shifted to look at him and then the expression on his face made something click for me. "This isn't the first time you've had a dream like this, is it?"

He looked up at me and shook his head. "I have them every once in a while. Not often, except when I was in LA, all I could think about was how you could be taken from me in an instant."

"I know we've had a rough year, but believe me Edward, I'm here until we're sitting on each other's deaf side in rocking chairs on the porch of some huge house you've talked me into buying, carrying on separate conversations and watching the sunset over the water so you can see your ferryboats. No dying, remember?"

Edward finally relaxed and smiled slightly. "I love you."

I continued to rub gentle circles along his back as I kissed his forehead. "And I love you. But next time something like this starts I want you to tell me, we're supposed to be a team and I can't help you if I don't know something is wrong."

Edward sat up against the headboard and pulled me up with him, repositioning me on his chest as I moved my arms around his waist. "What about you love? Is there anything that you're afraid of?"

My stomach tightened as I thought about my little fears, all things I knew I shouldn't worry about, but still found their way into my thoughts in quiet moments. "I'm worried about when we try to have a family. What if my eggs aren't viable? Or they are but something goes wrong? What if they find something wrong with our adoption application and we can't get a child that way either?"

My rambling ended and Edward's arms tightened around me. "Bella, we will have a family, it doesn't matter how it happens, we will. And even if for some reason we can't…you're enough for me." He rubbed my arm, quieting the other fear I would never voice, that his desire to be a father would overshadow his love for me. I knew it was irrational, but that's what fears are, your subconscious taking the last thing you want to happen and making it seem like it is a likely possibility.

I sighed and settled back onto the bed and Edward followed me as we quickly fell back to sleep in each other's arms.

**EPOV**

Bella and I woke up around 9:30 and even though I was still tired, we had to head back to Seattle so we could choose our menu for the wedding. We got dressed and packed our bags and then headed down to check out, where Alice and Jasper were waiting for us.

"Okay, so just bring us with you, because I want to go to the market." Alice was going way too fast for me this morning, but before I could argue, Bella and her were in the backseat discussing food possibilities and questions to ask the wedding coordinator at the Alexis.

Jasper and I sat in the front talking about the Mariner's pitching when Alice gasped and both Jasper and I put all of our attention on the back seat. "Al, are you okay?" Jasper was trying to keep his cool, but Alice had been having a rough pregnancy so far with all the discomfort her first trimester had caused her.

"No, Bella isn't using fondant on her wedding cake!" Both Jasper and I rolled our eyes and I put my attention back on the road.

"Alice, I hate fondant, and besides, red velvet uses a cream cheese frosting."

Alice sighed and then smiled. "I'm sorry Bella, I'm going all Bridezilla on you and it isn't even my wedding. I promise I'll rein it in."

"Good, because I'm going to need your help, and I don't want to have to ban you from my little shopping expeditions."

With that Alice went silent and the rest of the trip was filled with schedules and time tables for when things had to get done.

When we pulled up to the Alexis, Bella and I got out and made our way in to let Janice know we were there. As Janice walked out of the restaurant, she quickly motioned for us to come with her as we nestled ourselves at a table in the back of the seating area. Before us were several options for each course, and Bella and I began tasting the different food and picking what we wanted our guests to choose from. When it finally came time for the cake, Janice had chosen two of the most popular options along with the red velvet, just in case Bella had changed her mind. But the moment Bella tasted her cake she knew it was what she wanted. I took a bite and agreed that it was delicious, solidifying the selection while Bella described the holly design she wanted on the cake and Janice brought out the pastry chef so he could make all of those arrangements with Bella.

It was nearly 3pm when we got out to the car and started driving home. When we got there we got straight into bed and Bella answered a quick call from Jake, hearing the details of last night and apologizing for not saying good-bye before she hung up and snuggled up beside me.

**BPOV**

The next week went by in a blur. The fab five, as Alice called us, went out to register for the few things I actually needed for our home. Selecting my good china and glassware was the hardest part, but Esme was very helpful and also very skilled at distracting her daughter when she got too enthusiastic. I was happy to see that Alice was doing better, because if her entire pregnancy was going to be as hard as her first trimester, then we will all need hard hats.

Tuesday was by far the most fun of the week; because that was the day we went dress shopping at Marcella's La Boutique. Alice had worked there before she got her own line up, so we were brought into one of the dressing areas, complete with the row of seating and the mini stage with mirrors for me to stand on and admire the dresses I tried on. But before I started trying on dresses, we sat down and I told my consultant exactly what I did and didn't want.

"I don't want a Cinderella type dress that is three times the size of me. I want something sexy, but tasteful. Toile, no lace. And no bows or rosettes on my ass."

Sharon, my consultant laughed with the girls, before she went in the back to pull dresses. A few minutes later, she brought me to the dressing room to try on my first dress.

As I slipped into it I knew it was pretty, but not what I wanted. I showed everyone and they quickly agreed so I moved on. The next four dresses went the same way and I was beginning to get a little nervous. When I entered in my sixth dress, Leah had finally arrived from work, and was getting the play by play from Alice. When I stood on the stage in front of them I knew I was closer, but this still wasn't what I wanted.

I tried on the next dress and told Sharon what bothered me about the last two dresses and I saw the light bulb go on over her head. She helped me get out of the dress and then disappeared and when she returned she unzipped the garment bag I was immediately crying. Everything I wanted, everything I never knew I would want, was sitting inside that garment bag and as I tried it on I knew this was the dress I was marrying Edward in. When I rounded the corner and stepped up on the stage everyone fell silent and tears flowed around the room.

"Bella, you look like a ballerina." Rose was smiling so hard as she passed the tissue box down the line to Esme who simply said.

"My Edward is going to forget his own name when you take that first step down the aisle."

Alice giggled and shook her head. "I didn't know you had it in you. That dress is diva."

Leah still hadn't said anything and I knew her thoughts were around the same place as mine were. As happy as I was, all I could think about was how much I wished my mom was here, and I knew that the feeling would creep up a lot more by the time Edward and I finally said 'I do.'

After purchasing the dress, we went to another boutique that specialized in maternity formalwear so that we could get bridesmaids dresses that looked as good on soon to be very pregnant Alice as they did on Leah and Rosalie. Going in was an adventure as Alice soon came out with a fake belly so they could have her model the maternity dresses once we had made our selections. As she sat beside the pillowed stomach she glared at it, realizing that she would in fact be that pregnant very soon.

The girls tried on a few dresses when I finally fell in love with a deep red dress with a black sash under the bust. Alice went back and tried on the dress with the fake belly and was surprisingly very excited by how the dress looked on her. The girls ordered their dresses, and Alice cringed when they wrote her size on the ticket. Esme found a lovely dress in a deep Emerald and I was so pleased that everything was going so well.

My good mood continued as I spent the remainder of the week booking the florist, ordering the invites with Alice and beginning to sift through the possible music choices with Edward.

I got the call on Thursday night that Claire had given birth to a little boy, and congratulated Quil before I told him to take the rest of the week off and spend some time with his girlfriend and son. I had some flowers delivered to the hospital, but decided that I would wait until they came home to go see the baby.

Life was all beginning to fit into place, and I was happy just to spend time with Edward, curled up on the couch watching TV and planning our future together.


	3. The Baby Bug

**EPOV**

Bella was still running around crazy, but after the opening of the bar, and some of the bigger wedding details were settled, she was finally relaxing some. Today she was determined to get working on the wedding music and I was happy to put in my two cents.

"Baby, you need any help in there?" She was currently making dinner for us and Alice and Jasper, who were coming over after her doctor's appointment.

"I'm fine; I'll be out in a minute." Bella walked over to the dining room table as she pulled her hair up into a bun. "Where's the disc from Nikki?"

I handed her the disc and she popped it into my laptop before pulling out a notepad and sitting down next to me. "So…how do we do this?"

Bella giggled and drew a line down the middle of the page. "Okay, first are there any music genres you don't like?"

"Country, that's the only thing I can't stand."

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there will be a little bit of honky-tonk going on."

I looked down at her. "You listen to country music, how did I not know that?" Seriously, the idea of Bella at a Garth Brook's concert just didn't seem to mesh in my mind.

Bella rested her head on my shoulder. "My mom loved it, and I have some favorites I want to play, but don't worry, I'll let her know to only play the country music I specifically mention. Don't expect any rap."

I smiled down and kissed her hair. "That's fine, so what else?"

We spent the next hour listing the types of music that could and could not be played, along with listing our favorite songs and artist that we specifically wanted to play, and the ones we didn't. Around that time, there was a knock on the door. Bella jumped up to answer it and squealed when Alice threw her arms around her neck.

"Alice, you belly popped some more." My sister grinned, now fully embracing her baby bump.

Jasper walked over to me with a huge smile on his face again and I went to get Alice some water and a beer for Jasper. "So what did the doctor say?" I asked as I sat back down at the table with everyone.

Alice took a deep breath and reached into her purse. "Well, he gave us something to give to you. Here's a picture of your niece." Alice put the ultrasound on the table and above the profile of the baby, typed in small letters it said. 'Hi Uncle Edward and Aunt Bella!'

"Niece?" I looked up from the photo and Alice nodded. Bella took the ultrasound from me as I ran around to hug Alice. "Ali…that's so-" my sentence was halted by the tiny flick I felt against my hand. I stared down at her stomach and she ran her hand through my hair.

"D was saying hi." I looked up at her confused.

"You have a name picked out for the baby already." Bella was glassy eyed as she watched me and Alice from across the table.

"Danica Arabella Whitlock." Jasper said as he placed a hand on Alice's shoulder.

"Another Bella for me to fall hopelessly in love with." My eyes locked with Bella's as I moved to sit next to her again.

"So, what did we interrupt?" Jasper motioned towards the computer.

"We were picking music for the wedding, in fact I was about to ask Edward what he was thinking about for our song."

Alice clapped. "What songs do you want?"

Bella looked down. "I have four choices that I like…'Endlessly' by Joey McIntyre, 'I Can Love You Like That' by John Michael Montgomery not All 4 One. 'When You Say Nothing at All' by Alison Krauss and 'Angel' by Sarah McLachlan."

"'Angel' is used a lot." Alice commented before turning to me. "What about you Edward?"

"Well, this won't be a shocker to you but…'The 12th of Never,' 'What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?' and 'How Do You Keep the Music Playing?'"

"You couldn't pick one non-Johnny Mathis song?" Alice rolled her eyes at me with a knowing smirk.

"What's the thing with Johnny Mathis?" Bella asked as she tugged on my shirt.

"Our dad loves him, and whenever we went on road trips he would play his music, I was the only one of us to actually like it."

"What song are you dancing with Esme to?" Jasper questioned, hitting a sore subject for me.

"We're not." Something in my tone let both him and Alice know this wasn't something I wanted to talk about. I wasn't going to dance with my mom when Bella had no one to share her moment with.

Bella stood up just before the timer went off and left to take the dinner out of the oven. Jasper and I cleared and set the table quickly as Bella walked in with salad and bread before disappearing to get the stuffed shells. When we were all sitting around the table I served the meal, starting with Alice.

As Bella's delicious dinner vanished, the sounds of some very happy diners could be heard. Alice and Jasper left soon after and I loaded the dishwasher as Bella went to take a shower. By the time I was done and went to check on why she hadn't come to pick a movie to watch, I saw my answer.

As the light from the rest of the condo filtered into the room I saw Bella lying in bed at 7:30 with her back to the room. I kicked off my shoes and climbed up next to her. Placing my hand on her bicep, she pulled out of my grasp and I froze, I honestly couldn't pinpoint the moment I had done something to upset her, so I was going in blind. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her against my chest as I spoke in her ear. "What's wrong love?"

The stuttering breath that she took in broke my heart, whatever it was had made her cry. "I don't like when you make those kinds of decisions without even talking to me, I'm not going to break Edward, so please stop treating me like I'm fragile." Her voice was never raised above a whisper.

I tugged on her waist and she rolled to face me. Bella's face was wet with the tears she had been crying since before I came in the room. "What decision Bella, I'm not trying to be dense, but I'm honestly lost."

"You decided that we weren't dancing with our parents without even talking to me about it."

I looked at her confused. "I'm sorry, I just didn't want to dance with my mom and have you not have anyone to dance with."

Bella took another deep breath. "I do have someone to dance with…I asked your dad if he would dance with me as long as it didn't bother you." I felt like an ass for assuming she wouldn't want to remember her parents at the wedding.

"I'm so sorry Bella, I should have talked to you about it, and of course I don't mind you dancing with my dad. Do you know what song you want to choose?"

Bella cuddled against my chest and looked up at me as she answered. "_Dance with my Father_, I'm not sure which version, but that's the song I want…because I would give anything to have my parents there."

I tightened my grip on her waist and kissed her forehead. "Baby, I would give anything to bring them back for you."

"I know you would. I'm sorry too; it's just that I'm getting all emotional because these are the types of things that make me really miss them. Do you still want to watch a movie with my crazy ass?" Bella pulled back to look at me better and I smiled down, kissing the tip of her nose.

"Sure, what do you want to watch?" Bella blushed and I knew what she was going to ask. "What Disney film are you in the mood for?"

Bella giggled and sat up as I went to change into my pajamas. "Can we watch _Lady and the Tramp_?"

"Whatever makes you happy." I went out to the living room and dug out the DVD before putting it in and climbing into bed to relax and watch the old cartoon that Bella loved so much.

~V~V~V~

**BPOV**

After the stress that the beginning of the summer held with the wedding plans and Alice's pregnancy news, it was nice to be in a little bit of a lull before everything picks back up. With the end of the summer comes the nerves about my birthday, and with Edward and his family this year, I had a feeling that the next two weeks would be filled with answerless questions and plenty of planning on Edward's part for a change.

I was just starting to train Emily to be my assistant manager as well as the bookkeeper, giving me more free time, which I would appreciate all the more when November rolled around. Alice had been dropping hints about our trip to go underwear shopping next week before my second dress fitting and I was getting a little worried about what she would try to squeeze me into under that dress.

"Bella?" I woke up from my space out to see Emily sitting in front of me smiling.

"Sorry Emily, just let my mind wander for a moment. Where were we?" I looked down and saw the accountant's ledger, now remembering where I left off and dove back in.

A short while later there was a knock at the door and Edward came in to pick me up for the night. Closing the bar four nights a week was an odd feeling, but Seth had turned out to be a hidden gem and with Emily closing the other three nights and our new waitress Maggie taking over for Emily, I didn't have to live at the bar anymore, which was a nice feeling.

Edward stopped on the way home to pick up our Chinese food, but after that we went home and enjoyed our night together.

~V~V~V~

"Alice…you're crazy." I stared at her but she just smiled as we stood in the middle of the lingerie boutique when Rosalie came over with an armful of lace and satin and silk.

"Bella, we need to know which styles look best on you so we can get you a few things for your honeymoon, but I promise the only thing we're getting today is your wedding day underwear." Rosalie was trying to appease both of us, but it didn't seem to be working at the moment. Rose lead us to a dressing room with the rainbow of candy colored teddies and corsets and bra and panty sets, leaving Alice to talk me in to trying them on as she went to find me something in white.

I modeled a few of the bras for Alice who sat in the dressing room with me, while she insisted that I let her buy a few. I agreed, letting her buy three of my favorites as honeymoon attire. I was a little uncomfortable talking about things like how much sex I'd be having on my honeymoon with Alice, but it could have been worse, Esme could be out there with Rose picking out something for me. The Cullen's were really open about all of this stuff, but not in a freaky way, more in a 'if we make it okay to talk about it then it won't be this taboo thing that they can't wait to try,' sort of thing. Esme never made me feel weird and Carlisle's a doctor, so whenever he walked in at the wrong moment he'd smile and say he'd seen and heard it all before, usually earning a groan from his children. My mom and I had been open like that, but we never got to talk about stuff like that in specifics before she died, so I was getting a second chance with Esme…if I could ever work up the courage to start.

Rosalie was back around this time, armed with a few white options. Rose also had a shopping bag in hand and explained that she found some gorgeous bras that she couldn't pass up. I continued modeling a few babydolls and then Rose handed me the first of three white options. The bra was cute, but a little too simple. Next they handed me a teddy, which I decided to get for the first night of our honeymoon, but wouldn't work under my wedding dress, so finally I put on the corset, and all three of us agreed.

"That's perfect!" Alice squealed from her seat as Rose dug into her huge purse and pulled out a plastic bag.

"Try this over it." I opened it up and saw a white silk robe with 'Mrs. Cullen' stitched on the back and my monogram over my left breast.

"Rosalie, I love it. Thank you so much." I hugged both her and Alice before Rosalie took all of the clothes out to give to the dressing room attendant while Alice stayed with me until I was done changing. When I was ready I went and paid for my purchase and Alice got her present for me, before we met Rose at the front of the store.

~V~V~V~

**EPOV**

Today was Bella's birthday, and I was more than a little nervous. She had made my birthday back in June so special, and I wanted to make hers just as wonderful. I told her to dress in whatever Alice picked for her, after making Alice swear not to lay her now famous pregnant lady guilt trip on her. I wanted Bella to be comfortable and I knew that she loved watching my face drop when I saw her in whatever outfit Alice chose for her to wear. I had spoken to my mother, so all of those details were settled and now all I had to do was wait for Bella.

Leah and her had birthday plans that took up the morning and early afternoon, so I was happy to let the girls have their fun as I prepared for tonight. I was busy spreading a trail of rose petals through the condo when Emmett pounded on the door bellowing for me to let him in.

"Em, for fuck's sake, chill!" I'm sure my big brother had a witty comeback, but when he saw the box of petals in my hand and the line of them on the floor behind me he burst into hysterics.

"Dude…you're…whipped!" He managed to spit out between laughs.

"I'd rather be whipped than hand-whipped any day." That comment shut him up, because I knew Rosalie had him wrapped around her little finger too, and he would do a lot more than spread petals around if he knew it would make her happy.

Jasper walked around him holding the bottle of champagne I had asked him to pick up. "I think it's nice that you're doing something like this for Bella, it'll mean a lot to her."

"Thanks man." I took the bottle from him and the box of chocolate covered strawberries from Emmett and headed to the kitchen.

"So, is everything done?" Emmett looked around and I nodded.

"Just finishing up the last few things here, then I'm off to pick up my baby."

Emmett and Jasper wanted to come along, so we all piled into my 2002 Volvo C70 for the last time before I went to pick up my 2009 Volvo S80. When we arrived the boys drooled over my new car, which I fell so hard for when I test drove it, I didn't care that I could get the 2010 next month, I wanted _that_ car.

We drove around a little bit before heading back so they could get their car and go on their way. I went upstairs and got dressed, opting for a classic black suit with a crisp white shirt before I went to grab Bella's presents and drove over to Leah's to pick Bella up.

I knocked on Leah's door and she opened it quickly, asking me to come in. Bella called out from the bedroom as I took a seat with Leah on the couch. "So, how was your day?"

Leah chuckled. "It was nice, and I know Bella enjoyed herself."

Just then Bella stepped out of Leah's room in a knee length black dress. Her hair and make-up had been professionally done and she was wearing a bright smile as I went to her side and whispered in her ear. "You're a vision of beauty Bella. Happy Birthday my love."

Bella blushed and tipped up to kiss me, before I helped her on with her jacket and walked her out to the stairwell. When we reached the street, Bella looked around before stopping and looking up at me. "Where's your car?"

"Right in front of you." I hit the unlock button on the keypad and the lights blinked.

"I thought you were going to wait for the new model?" Bella asked as I opened her door and helped her in.

I ran around and got in closing the door and taking her hand. "I couldn't. I loved the car too much, so I had them find me one in black and it came in this morning."

Bella laughed at the excitement in my voice as we drove to my parents place for dinner. "Aren't you going to ask what I did this morning?"

I shook my head and pulled her hand up to kiss. "I'm always interested in what you do. But I didn't know if it was a secret thing between you two."

"It isn't. We go to a morning ballet class, which is always funny because Leah's okay at it, so we jump in and the teachers leave us alone knowing that we're only there for the day. We started it so I could feel like I was spending time with my mom, and now it is a way for me to have fun with her and keep myself on my toes." She giggled at the pun and then turned back to me. "Then afterwards we go get breakfast at IHOP and then go shopping."

"I didn't see any bags, did you not find anything?"

Bella blushed and squeezed my hand. "No, I found something. But I wasn't going to get it today."

Now she had me curious. "Bella, what did you see?"

"The 2010 Chevy Traverse." My jaw unhinged. We both spent the morning car shopping.

"When is your lease up?" I was so excited about this, she knew I loved cars, and I never expected her to trade in her Rondo.

"Next month, so if I give the car back I can lease the new Chevy when it comes out."

She was so excited and I loved to see that twinkle in her eye. "Buy the car, we can afford it."

"Really, you aren't going to try and talk me into some luxury car?" Bella smirked at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Baby, it's your car, you can have whatever you want, all I ask is that you let me come along when you buy it." Bella leaned over and kissed my cheek.

"Deal." Just then we pulled up to my parents place and got out of the car.

I took her hand, and before we could even get to the door the triplets were jumping up and down in the doorway. "Uncle Edward, Aunt Bella, you're here."

Bella smiled warmly at my nieces and nephew as we hugged them and stepped into the foyer. I took her coat and we made our way to the living room where the family was waiting to greet us. After hugs and birthday wishes were done, we all sat down to catch up a little before dinner. We talked about finalizing the menu, and Bella talked about the flowers before we gave Alice and my father their readings for the ceremony. Just before dinner was ready I motioned to my parents. My dad stood up and sat on Bella's other side.

"Bella, I know today you and Leah had your traditional birthday celebration, but tonight is a Cullen tradition. Ever since the kids were young we always had a family dinner on their birthday, they could hang out before or after, but dinner was family only. You're a part of our family now and that's why we asked Edward to include this family dinner into his plans for your night. Welcome to the family, Bella."

As he said the last sentence he opened the small jewelry box in his hand which held a charm with the Cullen family crest engraved on it. I could feel Bella shake against me as my mom joined us and my dad clasped the charm to the free loop on her mother's charm bracelet. "Thank you so much, you have no idea what it means to be a part of a family again." Bella hugged my parents as the girls all wiped their eyes.

Just then, the timer went off and my mom took Bella's hand as she walked her into the dining room. A few moments later everyone was seated around the table as we ate the delicious ham dinner that my mother made in honor of Bella, because it was her favorite meal. As we started eating Bella turned to my mom and smiled through her still glassy eyes. "Esme, when you asked if I would mind you getting me a charm for my bracelet, I never dreamed you would give me the family crest."

"When we were trying to figure out what piece of jewelry it should be on, I remembered how you rarely went anywhere without it, so I wanted to ask before I presumed." My mom smiled warmly at her and then turned to Alice who was making a weird face. "Alice, honey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, she's just kicking and it's bothering my stomach a little." I looked over at my little sister and felt a sense of bliss. I had everything I could want; a successful career, a wonderful family, and the woman of my dreams was sitting next to me. I took Bella's hand under the table and brought it up to kiss it.

After dinner was finished, my mom and Rosalie cleared the table while Emmett and Jasper went to get Bella's gifts.

"You guys, this is really too much."

Emmett placed the presents in front of her and then rested his hand on her shoulder. "You didn't honestly think that we were going to let Edward be the only one to spoil you tonight, did you?"

Rolling her eyes, she lifted the first gift and looked to Rosalie. "You got me something from the kids?"

"Just open it, trust me." Bella turned to the kids and pulled the ribbon off the big box and removed the lid.

"Thank you, I'll need all the relaxation I can get." I looked over her shoulder to see that the box was filled with candles and bath things to distress Bella. Rose leaned over the table to hand Bella an envelope that, no doubt, contained her gift from them.

Bella tore open the card and gasped when she saw its contents. "I didn't know _Romeo and Juliet_ was the final ballet of the season. Oh my God, I love it."

"That one's from Irina, Laurent and the kids." My mom motioned towards the gift in front of Bella and she continued with that present.

A moment later Bella was laughing as she smiled at my mom. "I'll have to call her tomorrow and thank her for this, look honey; it's a touch screen recipe reader."

I nodded, watching the childlike wonder in her eyes as she moved onto Alice and Jasper's gift, which was in an even larger package.

When Bella tore the paper off the present she stopped, before looking up with tear filled eyes. "Alice…how in the world did you…?"

"Leah got me the two in the center, but the other ones we had." Bella stood up to show everyone the photo quilt with six large photos on it, one of the whole family, including Bella, at the wedding, one was the girls, two were of us, and the final two were the ones that had excited Bella, the first a photo of her and Charlie, and the second of her and Renee. Stitched along the top was the heading, 'The Cullen-Swan Family.'

"You did good Ali." I said to my sister as I pulled Bella to me and stole a kiss before my nieces and nephews began to clamor over our PDA.

Last, were my two gifts for Bella, the first was in the envelope that I placed in her hand as I took the blanket, and the final one was in my pocket. Bella opened the card and read it before smiling up as she read the gift certificate. "This is for the day before our wedding."

I smiled and kissed her nose. "I wanted to pamper you, so that all the nerves that the last minute wedding plans will cause can be washed away and you can relax before our big day. Here, this is yours too."

I handed her the ring box and she opened it, revealing the sapphire flower, resting inside of a diamond star. She stared at it silently and I worried that she would think it was too much when she turned to me. "Would you put it on?"

I removed the ring from its box and placed it on her right ring finger; before bringing both oh her hands up to kiss the two rings that I had been fortunate enough to place on her hands.

After we settled back into our seats my mom brought out her cake and we all sang happy birthday to Bella, leaving shortly after dessert was finished. We drove down the road, hand in hand, as we made our way home. When we arrived, Bella went to put her gifts away as I set out to finish preparing for the rest of her night.

Taking out the strawberries, I carried them and two champagne flutes out to where the combination of the bottle chiller and the cool September night had our champagne ready and waiting for us on our balcony. I turned to see Bella standing in the doorway and I reached out to take her hand.

Popping the champagne, I filled our glasses and then sat down, pulling her to my lap and handing her a glass before taking one for myself. I raised the glass as Bella mimicked my gesture. "Here's to a lifetime of celebrating the day my world began, because I would have nothing without you."

Bella brought her glass to mine and she took a sip before sitting the glass down and resting her head on my chest. "Edward, for the past 10 years I've been alone. And in the last 10 months you've given me love and support and a family. I never thought I would have that again…this was the best birthday I've ever had."

"It isn't over yet, baby." I opened the box of chocolate covered strawberries and watched her face light up. I fed her the first one and then opened up as she held one out for me to eat.

Reaching for the third, she bit into it and a bit of juice escaped the strawberry and trickled down her chin. I watched as she swallowed and then leaned in to lick the juice up from her chin to the corner of her mouth, turning slightly so that I could kiss her, tasting the champagne and strawberries and chocolate on her tongue as her lips parted and my tongue massaged hers gently. Bella shifted so that she was straddling my lap and the feel of her pressed against my groin was amazing. Our hands found each other's hair at nearly the same moment as she began grinding on top of me. Filled with pure, unadulterated lust, I stood up from the chair with my arms wrapped around her and her legs securely around me and headed for the bedroom.

Sitting her on the bed, I stayed between her legs as I unbuttoned my shirt. Unimpressed by my speed, Bella grabbed the bottom of the shirt and pulled, popping the last few buttons. I looked at her with a smirk and she leaned into my ear. "Baby, I love it when you're gentle with me, but tonight I want you take me."

The moan that came out at her words sounded more like a growl as I stepped back and dropped my pants, kicking off my shoes and socks into a messy pile. Pulling her from her perch on the bed, I ran my hands under the hem of the dress and was met by a ruffle. I unzipped the dress and pushed it off of her to reveal the skin tight black lace that was underneath. "Fuck Bella, if I'd have known this was on underneath we'd have never left the house."

She giggled I threw her onto the bed and climbed on top of her, reveling in the feeling of her skin on mine. I grabbed her by the hair and pulled her mouth to mine as I pressed myself into her, her moan mumbled in my mouth. I moved my hands to the straps as I slid it down revealing her breasts, attaching my mouth to them immediately. Bella arched into me and wrapped her legs around me which forced another moan to rumble from my chest. "This has to go," I said as I pulled back and slid the lingerie off of her, along with her underwear before dropping my own.

Stepping back between her legs I pulled her to the edge of the bed and thrust into her, using my solid footing on the floor and grabbing hold of her shoulders to give me the right leverage. Her legs wrapped around me, holding me to her as she let out a whimper. "Oh God Edward…right there!"

I kept up the pace, hard and fast, watching the pleasure play across her face. It didn't take long before Bella was panting and arching off the bed, gripping the sheets on either side of her. "That's it baby, cum for me." With that last encouragement Bella trembled around me, my name falling from her lips. I followed her quickly, and when we were both able to move again, we stood up together and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

~V~V~V~

**BPOV**

A few weeks after my birthday, Edward and I were walking around Buy Buy Baby shopping for Alice.

"Why didn't we go to Babies 'R' Us, it's a mile from the condo?" Edward grumbled as we walked through the store.

"Because this is where Alice registered, besides, Babies 'R' Us sucks, their return policy is horrible." Picking up a few outfits for Danica, I saw some boys clothes for little Quil and got them as well. Finally making our way through the massive store to the stroller section I went in search of Alice's choice, which she had left off the registry so I wouldn't have to worry about someone else getting it.

As I found the Orbit stroller and pulled the display model out of the way so I could get the box Edward stopped me. "Let me, you just keep me around for the heavy lifting, isn't that what you tell Alice?"

I laughed and brought the cart around so he wouldn't give himself a hernia. "Baby, you know that's not the only reason." I leaned in to whisper in his ear. "But I do love it when you work up a sweat, my big strong man."

The box slipped slightly as he set it on the frame of the cart and his eyes bulged as he turned and saw the sticker on the box. "This thing is $1000, what is it made of gold?"

"Edward Anthony Cullen, you'll leave a $50 tip on a $100 meal, but you flip over the price of a stroller? This thing is an all in one, it is a stroller and a car seat, the bucket fits in both so you can take the baby out without having to buckle and unbuckle it over and over. Besides, it is what Alice wants; I'm not telling her it's too expensive."

He rolled his eyes and kissed me. "I never said we weren't going to get it, I just can't believe these things cost so much. But knowing Alice, she picked the best, and I'm hopeless when it comes to spoiling the women in my life."

We finished up our shopping and went to meet Leah for lunch.

"Hey guys, how's the planning coming?" Leah smiled as my face lit up and Edward pulled out her seat for her before doing the same for me.

"Now we're just finalizing everything, but I should be asking you the same question."

With her classic 'I'm not telling you a damn thing' smile on her face she shook her head and then picked up her menu to close the subject.

About twenty minutes later, the expression on Leah's face was starting to make me nervous and I couldn't take it any longer. "Spit it out Lee."

She looked up at me and then over to Edward before resting her fork on the plate. "I didn't want to bring this up…but I wanted to talk to you about me being a surrogate for you."

My face dropped and I felt Edward's hand find mine as Leah quickly started to backpedal. "No…God, I'm not saying that I won't do it, I just wanted to talk to you about…when."

Relaxing some, I looked over at Edward. "This is about Eli?"

She nodded, "He's shipping out in January and he will be gone for about 14 months, I know that it's really fast and you won't get the chance to be newlyweds or anything before, but after being apart for all that time, I want to start my life with him, and dealing with a pregnant me is enough to scare him out of marrying me."

"You guys are that serious?" I knew I wasn't one to talk, but they had only met in July.

"It was instantaneous. Even though I'm annoyed that he won't propose to me until he gets back, he's my soul mate." Watching Leah's face made my heart swell.

"Why won't he propose before he leaves?" Edward's curiosity was peaked and it was funny to see his brow furrow at the concept of waiting for something you want.

"He doesn't want to make me a widow before he makes me a wife. Medics have big targets on their backs because when you kill a medic, you're killing all the men they could have saved on the ground." Leah's face fell slightly and Edward reached across the table.

"Leah I'm sorry, he's going to be fine and we'll be dancing at your wedding before you know it." He looked over at me and I nodded, knowing by the twinkle in his eye what he was asking. "And as for your request, we'd love for you to do it while Eli is gone; we'll still get enough of a honeymoon period before the baby comes."

Leah lit back up and she started crying. "Thank you so much for understanding; I'm so glad you want me to do this for you."

Before I could say anything Edward continued. "Leah, you're giving us the most precious gift anyone could ever give, and we would never begrudge you for wanting to live your life as well, especially since you'll have to put it on hold for over a year. Thank you for doing this. What did Eli say when you told him?"

"He told me that it was one of the reasons he loved me, that I was willing to help you out like that." We finished our lunch and then decided to table the discussion until after the wedding.

Leaving the restaurant, Edward and I headed to the jewelers to pick out our wedding bands. After looking at the different options Edward motioned for the jeweler to take out a trinity knot band for himself and an eternity band with sapphire and diamonds for me. We were fitted and filling out the paperwork when the jeweler looked up and asked if we wanted anything engraved on the inside of the rings. Edward looked at me and I nodded, fully prepared with what I wanted them to say. "Yes, I want it to say, 'I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine.'"

I looked up at Edward and he smiled, kissing my temple and whispering into my ear. "Damn right we are." God I love it when he gets like this.

~V~V~V~

It was almost the end of October…only ten days from Halloween, and I was glad that Alice's baby shower was giving me a welcome break. I had Edward load the stroller in my Rondo, her last trip before I turned her in next week, and then threw in the little presents and headed over to the restaurant. When I got there a strapping young Italian man was waiting with a hand truck to unload my gift as I followed him into the private room, where he placed the gift on the table and went to wait for the next guest. I looked around until I found Esme who was beaming like a proud grandma-to-be should. "Esme, this place looks amazing; you are a force of nature when it comes to this."

Esme hugged me tight. "Thank you dear. Now how is my soon to be daughter-in-law today?"

"I'm good Esme, I'm just ready to be your daughter-in-law already, I want to be married to Edward so bad." She hugged me again as a new round of guests came in and she went to greet them.

When Alice and Rosalie arrived we all hugged and kissed as she sat at the head table. The gold paisley dress she was wearing was gorgeous and she was positively glowing with around eight and a half weeks left in her pregnancy.

The afternoon passed joyfully as we played fun little games and watched as Alice opened her mountain of gifts. The food was delicious, and we put the platters the restaurant made for us in my front seat as we loaded the back of my car with some of the gifts as Rose and Esme did the same. Once we were all packed up, we drove to Alice and Jasper's where the men were hiding out the estrogen ocean and waiting to help us unload. After 30 minutes and countless trips, we all sat down to relax. I stayed perched on Edward's lap the rest of the evening, until around 7:00 we left Alice and Jasper to try to figure out exactly where they were going to fit all that stuff.

On the ride home, Edward took my hand and looked over at me. "In a year, that could be us." I loved seeing the excitement on his face…the baby bug had definitely bitten my fiancé and he was so adorable.

"In a year that _will_ be us." I said confidently as I looked forward to the future I had never dreamed possible a year ago.


	4. Tying Up the Loose Ends

**Disclaimer: The Twilight Saga is the property of Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Okay everyone, the moment you've been waiting for is almost here. This chapter goes through a lot of the events leading up to the wedding and setting up for the big event. This chapter is really long and took a long time for me to write, and I got a little emotional so if you cry easy you may want to keep the tissues handy. No sad tears, I promise.**

**EPOV**

Tonight was Halloween, which meant I was spending the night with Bella at Ballet Studio. She was almost at an Alice level of giddiness at having everyone come out to spend Halloween at the bar. Bella's costume was hot as all hell; she was dressed as a naughty little bar wench in pink and brown, with a thick white petticoat filling out the skirt. Alice and Rose had convinced their husbands into couple's costumes, but I told Bella that she'd be a lot happier if she let me surprise her. After she left to get the bar ready, I went into the bathroom to apply the pale make-up and shading under my eyes to make me look as though I hadn't slept in a century.

Bella had started reading these romance novels with a vampire protagonist, real fluff; some pious vampire trying to atone for what he was by working as an executioner for the fictional country he lived in; that is until he met the woman he couldn't live without. It cracked me up until I saw the perfect way to give Bella one of her fantasies without her having to ask. So I donned Demetri's trademark charcoal gray tight fitting cable-knit turtleneck, tight black slacks and a cape. Leaving the apartment, I walked briskly to the bar just in time to see the line out of control along the block as Sam opened the rope for me. "I'm glad you're here man, Bella's been worried about that guy coming back cause of how crazy tonight's gonna be. She'll feel a lot better with you here."

I looked at Sam for a minute. "What guy?" Sam noticed the change in my voice and immediately looked down, I didn't know anything about a guy that had been bothering Bella, and it was something he thought she would have told me, this wasn't good. I went in the bar before I could get more annoyed, I wasn't going to ruin her night, but when we got home we were definitely going to have this conversation.

Emmett and Rose were at the bar as red riding hood and the wolf and Alice and Jasper were a fairy and Legolas from _Lord of the Rings_. When I walked up Alice and Rosalie caught one glimpse and blanched, obviously they were reading this series as well.

"There goes that fantasy." Alice muttered as I walked up and ordered a Bloody Mary from Seth, trying to stay hidden from Bella for as long as I could. She was furiously pouring shots and chatting up with the patrons, flashing her engagement ring more than once. These guys weren't stupid, but they were obviously respectful, as she continued chatting with them pleasantly as she served the drunken masses packing the bar.

"This place is ridiculous, if we didn't have an in with the owner, we'd be screwed!" Emmett laughed, catching Bella's attention as she made her way over and stopped the moment she saw me.

"I could use all the muscle I can get tonight, thanks for asking your cop friends to come here and hang low in case something happens."

"No problem Mighty Mouse, like you'd need it though." I had tensed and relaxed before anyone noticed, obviously Emmett didn't know what was going on, but if he had I would have killed him.

I nursed my drink at the end of the bar with Bella switching sides with Seth so she could hang by us all night. Alice and Jasper were the first to leave around midnight, and a call from our parents ended the night for Emmett and Rose around 12:45. Working on my second drink, I started letting my mind drift to my earlier plans for tonight, deciding that I couldn't pass up the chance to see Bella's reaction. Around 2:30 the bar started to thin out a little, and by the time last call was announced the closing was looking like it was moving smoothly. Soon enough the bar was empty and I helped them clean up before offering to take out the trash as Sam and Seth headed home, walking Emily to her apartment on the way.

When Bella took the tills downstairs to the office I decided to make my move and followed her. Waiting until she was done with her work I stealthy snuck in and placed my hands on her shoulders, causing her to gasp and turn, relaxing when she noticed it was me.

"Don't be afraid my beauty, I won't hurt you." I reached out again and pulled her to me.

"Demetri, I can't…my fiancé, I love him." She was playing along, her chest heaving out of her costume's corseted top.

"He isn't here now, and I _need_ you, and I will take what is mine." She backed against the desk and I pressed against the length of her body. I couldn't help but think of the first time I had her, it was exactly like this.

"Please." She whispered her voice thick with emotion.

"Please what, lovely?"

She looked up at me and pulled me closer. "Take me, make me yours."

I growled as I brought my lips to hers with a fierceness that couldn't be put on, I did need her, with everything in me. I undid the velvet corset's bow at the back of her neck and quickly loosened the ribbons pulling it over her head as she untied my cape and let it fall. I ripped the sweater off and threw it down as I ran my hands up and unzipped the dress pulling it and the petticoat skirt underneath off in one move. Bella watched as I undid my pants and kicked off both them and my shoes before I picked her up and sat her on the desk, pushing her down and crawling on top of her, rubbing up against her as I claimed her mouth and reached down to undo her front closure bra.

Leaving her lips, I kissed down her neck and started sucking on her pulse point. "You better not leave a mark where someone can see it, Cullen." Her hissed warning made me laugh but I quickly moved further down until I hit her collarbone, licking as I made my way down to her perfect breasts.

"My beauty…I've been watching you, waiting to taste these all night." I latched my mouth on her left breast, sucking and flicking the nipple with my tongue causing her to buck into me, which caused a moan to vibrate through her flesh. Placing open mouth kisses and playful nips across the flesh of her breasts, I made my way up to her right and lavished equal attention on it, savoring every sound that escaped her gorgeous lips. I kissed down her stomach until I reached the junction of her legs.

"I don't dare cross into this forbidden territory, there's too great a chance of me hurting you." I spoke to her center as Bella raised it up to the line I quoted that was on a page she had dog-eared in the first book. I sat up and pulled down her underwear, reaching for mine as well, releasing my throbbing erection. "My beauty…"

I trailed off as I entered and she wrapped her legs around my waist, the cool material of her heels rubbing against my ass. "Oh god…"

I pulled out and began to thrust into Bella, slowly at first, but soon I was picking up steam as I reached for the desk to use as leverage as I continued to enter her faster and harder, her mewing and moaning nearly constant as our breath came out in pants and I felt my release near.

"Bella, I'm close, cum with me baby."

She moaned and arched off the desk, her mouth opening and her eyes rolled into her head as she clenched around my length and pushed me over my own edge. We rode out the waves of ecstasy in each other's arms before we redressed, Bella only loosely fastening her corset back up. We went upstairs and I made my way to the door when I realized I had left my phone on the bar when we were cleaning up. Going back quickly to get it, I heard a male voice yelling out before Bella called out. "Edward!" I ran out in time to see the guy crossing the street.

Bella locked the door to the bar as soon as I was out and then grabbed my arm. "Bella, what's going on?"

"Please tell me you drove." Bella pleaded as she dragged me in the opposite direction of our apartment.

"No. Bella, where are we going?"

"Shh! There's a cop that always parks by the park, if we can make it there, maybe this guy will leave us alone."

"Hey bitch, just because you have a different escort tonight doesn't mean we're going to just leave it at this." I stiffened; he didn't just call my woman that.

Bella trembled next to me, whether it was in reaction to me, him, or the cold I didn't know. "One more block…please be stupid enough to keep running your mouth."

As we rounded the corner the cop was already out of his car, having heard the commotion. "Do we have a problem?"

"Yes, I own the bar around the way and this guy has been bothering me for the past two weeks, but the cops keep saying that he has to do something."

I became furious that this jackass had been doing this for a while and angry that Bella never told me, just like with the phone calls that ended up being her father, she kept it to herself until she had to tell me.

"Well, now he's done something." The cop approached the guy who was following us and he balked.

"What the fuck do you want? I'm not breaking any laws."

The cop smiled as he grabbed his arm. "Actually you are, you're under arrest for disturbing the peace, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you by the court. Do you understand these rights as I've explained them to you?"

The smug bastard was silent as he was sat in the car. "Okay, if you want to take out an order of protection against this guy for harassment, this will help your cause. Did you make a statement the previous time you spoke to an officer?"

"Yes, but I didn't know who he was." Bella answered.

"We're doing this now, Bella." She nodded and we walked the three blocks to the station and filled out the paperwork. While we were doing that, they ran his arrest record, and it seems this guy was wanted for drug charges in Nevada, so they contacted the local law enforcement and arranged for him to be extradited, considering that the charges in Seattle were a favor so we could get a restraining order, which would no longer be necessary. The prick was too high to realize that he had just fucked up months of running.

Bella and I walked home, getting in just after six. As I went into the bathroom, Bella followed and leaned against the wall. "Just say it, Edward. I know you're pissed at me."

I took a deep breath. "Bella, why wouldn't you tell me? That was so dangerous, and it could have ended so badly. Bella if something had happened to you…I don't know what I would have done."

Tears streaked down her face as she pushed off the wall and wrapped her arms around me. "Edward, honestly he showed up the first few times and was just one of those creepy patrons, then two nights ago Sam had to throw him out, and last night he wasn't let in and caused a scene…that's why I asked Emmett about having his friends come by, he didn't know why, he was just doing me a favor. He's never waited around like that. When he didn't start shit tonight I figured he cooled off-"

"Until tonight in your office. You thought I was him, didn't you?"

Bella nodded against my chest. "For a second, and then I realized it was you. Thank you by the way…I know with what happened in the last few hours it may seem…I don't know…but it meant a lot that you did that for me."

I took her face in my hands and kissed her lips. "I'd do anything for you."

I took off my costume and washed my make-up off as Bella did the same at the sink next to me. After that we put on our pajamas and went to sleep.

~V~V~V~

Coming home from my meeting, I could hear Bella talking on the phone excitedly in the bedroom. I walked in to see her sprawled out on the bed, facing the ceiling. I climbed up next to her, kicking off my shoes as she turned to face me before answering whoever she was talking to. "Yes Esme, sorry Edward just got home. Everything will be fine, just bring a dessert, and tell Alice to buy a cake or something. Okay, I'll see you in an hour. Bye."

Bella hung up the phone and smiled at me. "Hey, how was your meeting?"

"Good, they're finalizing the dates on the tour…which reminds me, you're gonna come and meet me a few places…right?"

Bella laughed. "Only you could ask me to visit you once a week on a four week trip. Why not just drag me along for the whole trip?"

"Perfect, I'll tell Victoria I need another seat when she has the guy in travel make the reservations." I smirked and kissed her before she batted my shoulder and pulled away.

"Oh no you don't. I have to meet your mother at Ballet Studio and I can't be late."

"Wedding stuff?" I laughed, knowing exactly what was going on today.

"Yeah, your mom and I have a meeting with the florist, but I left my phone at the bar so I have to get it and then we're going out to lunch, so I'm dressing up, because if I know your mom, we'll be at a five star restaurant. It's funny; someone else I know loves to do that to me."

I laughed at her comment, because my mom was where I got my taste, and my father gave me my penchant for extravagant gifts. "Okay, well don't let me get in your way."

**BPOV**

Edward let me get ready, slipping into a gold little dress with a black bow and a tiered skirt, a pair of heels and my gold rose earrings. Heading over to Ballet Studio I saw the sign in the window 'Closed for Private Party.' Huh, was that party Emily had told me about today? Regardless, I walked down the alley to the back door, to avoid interrupting the party, but as I walked in I heard the cheers and was instantly bright red.

"Surprise Bella!" Even though there were only seven people there, I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love.

"You guys are too much!" I looked over at the mirrors and saw a large clothes line of lingerie…a rainbow of babydolls, bra and panty sets, and a few slightly scarier corsets. "What in the hell is all that?"

Alice beamed as she came up to me. "We did this instead of a wishing well, trust me, you'll appreciate it later." She winked before her tinkling laugh came out and she moved out of the way of the playful swat I aimed at her.

"Sit down and enjoy yourself, I don't want to hear you complain, the next few weeks are all about you so you better get used to it." Leah gave me a hug as she lead me over to the head of the table and sat me down, before going over to the buffet and fixing me a plate. We sat around and ate first, laughing and joking about what I could tell would be a very embarrassing present opening experience. Once we were done eating, Leah hit the lights and everyone turned to the screen that hung over the stage where, after a minute, a slideshow of pictures of Edward and I through the years played to _Angel_ by Sarah McLachlan. Tears welled up in my eyes as Edward's face flashed across the screen, aging before my eyes. Finally, near the end of the song were the pictures of us together over the last year. I was blown away by this and when the last picture faded with the song I looked around as the lights clicked back on.

"Leah?" My voice cracked and she nodded.

"I thought you'd like it, and I knew you almost chose that song for 'your' song, so I thought I'd use it."

I hugged her tightly as Rosalie stood up and began the games. First they turned the lights back off for a hilarious game of 'If They Mated,' where Rose had shuffled the faces of the different members of the bridal party, their significant others and several celebrities. When the picture with me in it came up I automatically giggled, Rose had mixed me with Edward as a joke. Then the answer was revealed…Bella and Robert Pattinson! Hot damn! I had had a thing for the HP hottie before I met Edward, but who needed a boy when I had a real man! Obviously I wasn't the only one Rose had tricked. Next we moved onto the Advice cards, and among the honest, "Never go to bed angry," cards were the not so modest "A tigress never wonders what her mate is doing when out hunting, because she makes sure he knows what's waiting for him back at the den."

With the embarrassment over for the moment, we moved on to the gifts. Emily started, handing me a card that had a picture of a boat on a perfect turquoise ocean. Wherever our honeymoon was, she had gotten us a Boat Tour of the area. Next, Claire handed me a cute beach bag with various tropical necessities, a set of 'Mr. & Mrs. Cullen' beach towels, and 'Just Married' flip flops. Victoria handed me her card, which detailed a romantic dinner and a tour of the rainforest. Esme gave me Irina's gift, a Canon Rebel SLR digital camera and a waterfall tour…evidently Edward and I were doing a lot of sightseeing on this trip!

Leah handed me a card with a picture of the suitcase set I picked out for Edward and I, telling me it was in Esme's car already, as well as a spa day on our honeymoon. Rose handed me her card, which showed our Glassware and Silverware as well as a Horseback ride on the beach. Alice beamed as I read out loud that she had bought "the rest" of my honeymoon wardrobe and already packed it in my suitcases. I knew I'd have to repack it in a few weeks, but something told me she wouldn't let me omit anything from her masterpiece collection. Along with what I'm sure was a ridiculous amount of clothes was a trip to the La Soufriere Volcano…wherever that was and a shopping allowance. Finally, Esme handed me a box, which I opened to reveal one of my china place settings, the rest of the set was also in her car, which had been packed with all my gifts. Inside her card was a picture of fish taken underwater with the description of our scuba lessons and snorkeling trip as well as another romantic dinner.

The gifts seemed like too much, but I would never dare say so. The Cullen's, both by blood and marriage were used to having money, and on special occasions they would dip into it to pamper the people they loved, and with Edward's penchant for the grand romantic gesture, this was something I would be experiencing for a very long time.

After dessert, I said good-bye to Emily, Claire and Victoria before I climbed into my car with Alice and Leah, while Rosalie and Esme followed in her car. When we got back to our condo the boys were waiting and made quick work of our gifts before leaving Edward and I to put our gifts away and enjoy our night. After the china was put away and the suitcases were hidden in my closet along with the bags of lingerie that I wanted to kill Alice for orchestrating, Edward and I cuddled up on the couch where I showed him the slideshow, which he loved.

After a light dinner, Edward and I returned to the couch where I decided to broach a subject I had been trying to summon up the courage to bring up. "Edward, do you have any plans the weekend after Thanksgiving?"

Edward answered without taking his eyes off the TV. "No love, why, do you want to go Christmas shopping or something?"

I took a deep breath. "No, I want to go lay a blanket on my mom's grave, and I wanted you to come with me so I could show you where I grew up and so you'd be there, because I know I'm going to need you."

Edward was watching me now as he pulled me close. "Of course I'll come with you; you don't even have to ask."

I pulled him even closer as I inhaled the scent wafting off of his skin. I loved the way Edward smelled, he smelled better than anything else I'd ever known. That night we fell asleep after watching M*A*S*H reruns.

**EPOV**

Bella was so excited to be hosting Thanksgiving, and was cutting up the turnips and sweet potatoes to cook them tonight so that tomorrow she only had to reheat them. I sat at the bar watching her work, counting out the potatoes and putting them in the pot she'd use tomorrow so that was ready and making the green bean casserole.

When she was done we ordered in Chinese and packed for our trip to Phoenix on Saturday morning. Bella wanted to get to bed early because the turkey would take 8½ hours to cook tomorrow, so she wanted to wake up in time to get everything started on schedule. My sleep, however, didn't come as easily. Bella tossed and turned in her sleep, whimpering and crying, but I couldn't bear to wake her. At one point she rolled into me and I held her, finally stilling the restlessness of her body, but not her mind. I knew she was thinking about her mom and our trip to visit her and I also knew that she would tell me about it in her own time.

I woke up the next morning to the smell of turkey as it wafted into the bedroom. I walked into the dining area and the table was already set for 10, with the small table next to it set for Emmett's brood with a slightly less delicate set of dishes. "Morning handsome."

I looked up to see Bella standing in the doorway to the kitchen in a short apron and her pajamas. "You started early love."

Bella giggled and went into the kitchen to continue cutting up apples for the pie she would cook later on. "I have a lot of work to do. Thankfully, my fiancé found a place with a large oven, otherwise I'd be screwed." Bella continued to flutter around the kitchen, peeling potatoes and sitting them in the pot of water, cutting up carrots and doing the same. I watched in awe as she singlehandedly created what was sure to be an amazing meal, just like my mother always had.

"Only you could find as much joy in cooking a meal like this as my mom does." She looked up at me and smiled.

"I've always wanted this. When I used to cook dinners it would be for my mom and whatever guy she was dating that year. But with a family of two or three, you don't really cook a lot of food, and Leah and I have done this for the past decade, just the two of us. It'll be nice to have a big table full of people today."

I moved to wrap my arms around her waist. "You'll have a full table every year; your days of cooking holiday meals for two are over."

Bella's arms tightened around me and I felt her lips brush against my bicep. "I miss her Edward; I wish she was here to see all of this."

I kissed her hair and moved to whisper into her ear. "She is love, she's watching over you and I'm sure she's proud of the woman you've become, because I'm proud of you. You're so strong Bella, and you never gave up on life."

Just then the timer went off and Bella turned to the oven to take out the turkey and baste it before closing the oven door and standing back up. "Okay, I better jump in the shower and start to get ready. Everyone's going to be here at 1pm and I can't still be wearing my pj's."

Bella ran off to the bathroom and soon I could hear the shower running. Bella's hairdryer was the next sound I heard, before it abruptly shut off and I heard her come padding towards the kitchen in a Grecian inspired dress, her hair only partly dried as the timer went off and she went back to the stove to turn the turkey and baste it again. As soon as she was done she ran back off to the bathroom again to finish getting ready.

When she reemerged, Bella was a vision as she always is, now moving with a more determined air about her as she took out the wine and sat it on the table. Running back to the kitchen she took out all of the things she started yesterday and let them sit before she would throw them in the oven.

By the time I finished changing around 12:30 she was plating an enormous platter of cookies and baked snacks for dessert, swatting away my hands as the doorbell rang. I left her be to answer the door, my mom hugging me with her free hand, with her famous pecan pie in her other. Behind her my father stood holding a pumpkin pie. "Edward, you look so handsome! I can smell Bella hard at work."

"It's a wonderful thing, having that smell fill your home and know that the woman you love is responsible for it." I nodded at my dad's statement before I led them to the kitchen where they could sit the pies on the bar and then I took their coats.

"Bella, I see you have everything well in hand, is there anything you need help with?"

"No Esme, but thank you. I've got everything covered."

I poured my parents a glass of wine and we hung around the bar so Bella wasn't left out of the conversation. Alice and Jasper arrived exactly at 1pm and Alice climbed onto one of the barstools and joined in as we watched Bella work. "Damn girl, I burn water, how do you time everything out so well?"

"I don't know, I've just always been able to it." Bella smiled at Alice who remained perched with her hand resting on top of her stomach.

I actually saw the movement in Alice's belly as Jasper wrapped his arms around her, resting his hands next to hers. "Danica's looking forward to some of Aunt Bella's food too."

We all laughed as Bella reached around and grabbed a cheese plate out of the fridge and scattered some crackers on it before placing it near Alice. "Well tell D that she better save room for dessert. Thanks for bringing the cake by the way."

Alice nodded as the doorbell rang again and I went to let in Rosalie, Emmett and the kids, who all ran around the doorway to ambush Bella.

"Auntie Bella! Auntie Bella!" They cheered as Bella crouched down to hug each of them before they ran to hug everyone else.

"Happy Thanksgiving everyone!" Emmett boomed and Rosalie shook her head as she headed to hug Bella.

"Hey sweetie, were you able to change your appointment?" Rose spoke softly, but a brief silence illuminated her words.

"Yeah, I go on Tuesday." Bella's eyes flashed to me and I knew exactly what appointment she meant. Bella continued to finish off last minute things so that she could join the rest of the family who migrated to the living room now that there were too many of us to stand around.

I stayed behind to have a private moment with her. "Baby, you okay?"

Bella looked up and smiled, the twinkle in her eye nearly concealing her anxiety. "Yes, it's just my quarterly check-up, I wanted to have it done before the wedding…I didn't want anything hanging over us when we start our new live together."

I kissed her tenderly as I reached down to hold her face between my hands. "Bella, I know…Leah told me after everything happened between us after Christmas…I know that they found your mother's cancer seven years after they started her on the hormones. But that doesn't mean that it's going to happen to you."

She sighed, her eyes closing as a single tear escaped her right eye. "I'm still waiting for it, I know it's stupid but-"

"It is not stupid, but it's also not going to happen. I'm not letting you go." I pulled her body tighter against mine, illustrating my point.

"Auntie Bella, what's wrong?" We looked down to see a doe-eyed Angela staring up at us.

"Nothing's wrong sweetie." Not fully buying it, Angela hugged Bella's leg and then ran back out of the kitchen.

Bella and I joined my family just as Leah and Eli arrived. We hung out in the living room with Bella running to check on little things until the last half hour when she started flying around again, with the women helping to put the dishes on the table while she mashed potatoes and carved the turkey, carrying it out and sitting it on the center of the table.

With everyone seated we began to say what we were thankful for. Starting with the kids, Ben and Carmen were honest about being thankful for their new toys and the baby cousin on the way, while Angela announced that she was thankful for Bella. All I could think was "that's my girl." Alice and Jasper both talked about being thankful for each other and Danica. We continued around the table until we made our way to Leah. "I'm thankful to all of you. For the last ten years I've been Bella's family and I'm so glad that she found Edward, because not only have you all accepted her, but somehow I became an honorary Cullen, and it's a cool family to be a part of."

Everyone laughed as Eli took his turn. "You guys are like the Cleaver's, it's kind of ridiculous. Last year I spent Thanksgiving in Iraq, so to be invited into your celebration with Leah this year means a lot."

We continued moving around the table, with my parents being thankful for all the new additions to our family, and when it came time for Bella and I to go I took her hand and squeezed it gently. "I think it's pretty obvious what I'm thankful for, and I'm saving all the sappy stuff for my vows, so…I'm thankful for Bella, because she said yes."

Bella reached our joined hands up to wipe away a tear before she began. "I'm going to try to keep this short so the food doesn't get cold." A small chuckle echoed around the table as Bella continued. "I'm thankful for all I've gained this year. My business is more successful than ever, I met the man of my dreams, and I've gotten a second chance. I'm a sister and a daughter and an aunt, all things I never thought I'd get to call myself. And I'm so thankful for Leah, because she has been the only family I've had for the last ten years, and she still is my sister from another mister."

Another round of laughter went around as the food began to move around the table. The wedding was, as always, the topic of discussion during the amazing dinner Bella prepared, and after the table was cleared and the game was turned on until dessert.

Dessert was truly a treat and after everyone was stuffed we started to say our good-byes.

Once we were alone, and the final load of dishes was in the dishwasher, I dragged Bella to bed.

**BPOV**

My nerves were a little frayed as we boarded the flight to Phoenix. I'd been avoiding going home the past few years, letting the cemetery's perpetual care service take care of my mother's grave because I couldn't bear to go alone, but as I looked next to me, I smiled as Edward stowed our overnight bags in the overhead compartment. Sitting next to me, I grabbed his hand and rested my forehead on his shoulder.

I woke up to Edward's lips on my hair. "Love, the planes landing."

I looked up and realized that I had slept through the entire flight. Getting off the plane, Edward and I headed to the car rental counter, and I shook my head as we walked out to the Mercedes he had selected. It didn't take long to drive to the hotel, and after relaxing for a little while and unpacking we headed back out.

We weren't going to the cemetery until tomorrow, so I programmed my old address into the GPS and we started the tour. About 15 minutes later, we were turning down the familiar streets, finally turning on to Webster Place. Edward took my hand as I tensed up, having purposely stayed away from anyplace but the cemetery the last time I came back. As he stopped in front of the house with the little sign in the grass reading '44 Webster Place' I turned to look across the street at the house I grew up in.

"There used to be a tree on the right side of the lawn, but I kept climbing it and falling when I tried to get back down so I mom had some guys come and take it down, she was afraid that I'd hurt myself while she was at the studio and no one would know I was hurt. And that window all the way to the left was my bedroom. It was a blue-green color and I had this big fluffy purple floral comforter. My mom's room-" I stopped abruptly, willing the tears not to fall as I felt Edward's hand move from my hand to reach around my shoulder as his left hand reached to take mine while he rubbed gentle circles on both my back and the back of my hand. The tears finally won out, so I continued telling Edward about the house. "My mom's room was right next to mine. When I was little I'd always climb into her bed, and then when she got sick and stayed at the hospital, I'd sleep in there so I could feel close to her. I have three goldfish buried in the backyard, I was never really good with feeding them, so I gave up on pets, and my mom wouldn't let me get something that I could actually play with like a dog or a cat because she said they were too much work. Oh, and my mom had a garden in the back that she couldn't keep alive to save her life." I stopped, shocked by my choice of words. The tears came harder and Edward shifted so that he could hug me to his chest as best he could with the center console in the way.

A few minutes after that, we drove off and I told Edward to take the left that would lead us to the Dancing Swan ballet studio. Pulling into the parking lot, I wiped the tears from my face and got out of the car to walk in the familiar doors. Edward took my hand as I showed him the old pictures and looked at the classes through the viewing windows. We were about to leave when I heard her voice. "Bella?"

I turned to see Maggie, one of my mom's best friends, and the instructor that she sold the studio to. "Hi Maggie, it's good to see you."

Her face lit up as she ran over to hug me. "Oh my God, Bella you've grown into such a beautiful young woman, how are you? And who is this handsome man glued to your side?" She looked over at Edward and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm good, I'm engaged actually, and this is my fiancé Edward."

Edward extended a hand that was quickly batted away as Maggie hugged him as well. "It's a pleasure to meet you Maggie, Bella was just giving me a tour of her old neighborhood and we couldn't do that without stopping in here."

Maggie smiled at him and then turned to me. "Bella, why don't you come in and dance for a minute, remember the old room?"

I looked at her and shrugged. "I don't have clothes or slippers."

Maggie shook her head. "Clothes are easy enough, and are you still a size seven, because we have a few pair of worn in ballet slippers you could use if you'd rather that than go barefoot."

I thought about it for a moment before nodding and following her to go change. I came out a minute later and followed her into the studio full of students with Edward hanging along the wall by the door.

"Excuse me ladies, but if you could all sit down for a moment I have a special surprise for you. Miss Bella Swan, the daughter of Renee, the woman who opened this studio, and the studios first student has come back to visit, and I've asked her to dance for us."

Maggie went to sit by the students as I began to move. I didn't dance for that long, but I had to admit that it felt good. I could feel my mom with me as I spun and glided across the floor and when I stopped the little girls erupted into applause and my eyes flittered to Edward who stood misty eyed by the door. I thanked Maggie and the class for letting me dance on their time before I went to walk out into the lobby with Edward. I changed again and then met Edward by the reception area.

"That was beautiful Bella, the way you moved, the emotion behind it; I've never seen anything like it." I smiled up at him before kissing him and reaching up to wipe away his tears as we exited the studio.

Continuing down the road we stopped at my old elementary school and got out to sit on the swings I had played on well after I graduated from the school simply because it was so close to the house. I continued to tell the ever-enraptured Edward stories of scraped knees and broken bones as well as secret games and first crushes, all of which was played out on a giant wooden playground which was replaced sometime in the last several years with the bright and obnoxious plastic structure sitting in front of us. Around that time, my stomach growled and Edward laughed as he stood up and offered me his hand as we went back to the hotel to order room service.

That night I slept in Edward's arms, so happy to have him there with me. Because I couldn't imagine doing this alone again, and I smiled knowing I would never have to.

**EPOV**

Watching Bella yesterday was as heartbreaking as it was moving. Seeing her relive things she hadn't thought about for a long time, not to mention watching her dance at her mother's studio, I'm a lucky bastard if she feels 1/10th of that kind of love for me. Dressing casual for the cemetery, at Bella's request, I threw on jeans, my 'Carpe Diem' shirt and a jacket. Bella came out of the bathroom in a t-shirt with a pink heart and a white ribbon in it for breast cancer awareness, jeans and a pair of boots. Grabbing her brown bomber jacket we took our bags and went to check out, as our flight back to Seattle left this afternoon.

We had a quick breakfast at the hotel, Bella not touching much of what was on her plate, and then headed for the cemetery. Bella pointed out a florist along the way and we stopped, Bella picking out a blanket with poinsettias on it and a bouquet of roses. Pulling into the cemetery gates I was put off by how unlike any cemetery I'd ever been to it looked, maybe it was the palm trees. Driving along the winding roads Bella finally told me to stop the car and we got out, walking down the row of headstones until we reached Renee Swan.

Bella knelt down and positioned the blanket over the grass and then used the metal garden stakes to secure the blanket to the ground. She opened the flower vase built into the headstone and filled it partway with water before setting the bouquet of roses into it and then she cleaned off the headstone and stood up. I went to take a step back when she motioned for me to come closer, so I walked to her when she reached over and pulled me behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"Hey mom, I know it's been a while since I've come to see you, but I have some things I wanted to tell you face to face. I'm doing a lot better now, I opened the new bar and Leah and I are still as close as ever, which I honestly can't thank you enough for sending her to me, but most importantly I have Edward." I closed my eyes as she began to tell her mom about me like they were having a conversation sitting together after a really good date. "He's everything mom. He's good, smart, creative, strong, passionate, kind, and he loves me. I wish you could be here, and I wish that you could have met him, because you would have given us hell for how serious we got so fast, but you would have loved him. Please keep an eye on Charlie, because I know he had a hard time with how things were between all of us. And mom, can you watch over Edward and I and help make our dream of being parents come true, because we both want it so bad. I love you mom."

The tears were streaming down both of our faces as Bella went to walk back to the car when my hand stopped her as I continued to stand by Renee's grave. "Thank you Renee, for raising the most amazing woman there is, because I don't know what I'd do if she wasn't in my life."

I looked down at Bella as I walked her to the car, both of us wiping our faces as we headed to a local diner to get lunch before our flight.

~V~V~V~

**BPOV**

I woke up Tuesday morning with a lot of nervous energy before my appointment. I headed off to the office with Edward once again by my side as I went into my happy place. Walking into the building Edward and I went into the office's waiting room and I signed in before he sat next to me and held my hand while I waited for the tech to come and get me. When it was time, I went into the back and had my mammogram done, which is in the top five of most obnoxiously awkward things I've ever lived through, and then went back to the waiting room to wait for my doctor. After a few minutes the receptionist told me that Dr. Porter was going to be a little longer than expected and that we could go for breakfast and he should have my mammogram results in an hour. We went outside to walk to the deli to grab an egg sandwich and Edward unloaded.

"How come he's making you wait this long, is this normal?"

I could see his annoyance and I reached out to take his hand. "He'd just taking care of another patient. When he's done it will take him time to look over the test results so he can give them to me today. I'd rather wait an hour and then know, than have him take a few days. With his cancer survivors he likes to get them answers as quickly as he can while still being thorough. He'll look at my old scans and see if there's anything there to worry about."

Edward gripped my hand in his. "I'm sorry; I'm supposed to be here supporting you, not the other way around."

"It's okay, this is all new to you, and you're allowed to be nervous."

Soon enough it was time to go back and I was glad to see with my own eyes that there were no visible changes to my scans and that everything looked good. Dr. Porter even let Edward come in to show him that I was okay. We left the doctor's office a lot calmer than we had been walking in and I felt so much better knowing I was starting my marriage to Edward without this hanging over us.

~V~V~V~

The week passed and I was currently cursing Alice as she handed the stylist for my wedding a tiara for her to pin in my hair for tonight's bachelorette party. Leah and Rose stood around laughing and I was waiting for the point when we ended up at Ballet Studio, because I had made it very clear that there would be no strippers in my future.

More annoyed that I wouldn't be seeing Edward tonight, as Leah insisted that I stay with her, I went back to Alice's where she handed me a tulle skirt and a tube top, finishing it off with a pair of silver heels. "Alice, I look like a Goth ballerina!"

"You look gorgeous, now don't ruin the vamped up version of your wedding look, we have to get going if we're going to keep our schedule."

With that the night began. Only staying in one bar for an hour before moving on, we danced and drank with no indication that we were a bachelorette party other than my 'bride to be' sash. It was 12:30 when we finally headed to my bar, which got me excited because I was truly having a blast, even with the lack of half naked men. Dancing with my third Long Island Ice Tea of the night, Emily wrapped her arms around me and smiled, excited to see me in a less than professional light. I honestly wasn't sure how long we'd been there, but all of a sudden Rosalie cackled, which is never a good sign, and then told me to lift my arms as she pulled a tight halter top over my head, handing my sash to Alice before fastening the string behind my neck.

I looked down to realize I was wearing a 'suck for a buck' shirt, covered with very dangerously placed lifesavers decorating it. "Take off your tube top!"

I looked at her like she was mentally ill. "But you already tied-"

"Do it!" Everyone bellowed at me so I reached up and pulled the shirt down while still wearing the halter over it and then pulled it up over my head once I had it bunched at my waist.

"Now there's a nifty trick." I spun around to be face to face with a very buzzed Edward, surrounded by Emmett and Jasper. Edward pulled me to him and kissed me, before his mouth moved to the lifesaver attached to the string holding up my shirt. Sucking on the candy, he bit through it so the pieces would fall into his mouth before he moved to the other string to do the same. Moving to the one on the small of my back Edward skillfully removed each candy until there were only three left.

Moving to my bellybutton he sucked the treat off and then looked up at me with hooded eyes as he took my hand. "I'm finishing my dessert at home!"

Pulling me to the door, I looked back to see Leah and the girls laughing, dirty bitch was never planning on me staying with her. Climbing into a cab, we rode the eight blocks groping each other like we were teenagers, until we stopped in front of our building. Getting out, Edward dragged me to the elevator and as soon as the doors closed he pushed me against the cool metal and attacked my neck. I gripped his shoulders and pulled him closer to me. His lips brushed against the skin of my neck and stopped just below my ear. "Baby, I can't wait to get home."

A chill ran up my spine at his words as the ding of the elevator alerted us to the opening the doors. Edward carried me down the hall to our front door. Fumbling with the keys he finally got the door open and pushed his way into the apartment. We quickly made our way to the bedroom where he pushed me against the bed and took my waist in his hands as he bent down to the lifesaver that had been stuck to my boob. Sucking hard on the shirt I moaned loudly as the candy fell off and his tongue continued to play with my hardened nipple. Kissing his way over to the final candy, he repeated his teasing before pulling the shirt over my head and growling at the barely there bra underneath. "Fuck baby, you look so damn sexy."

I giggled as he tore off the skirt and followed it with my underwear. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I used my legs to pull him closer as I undid his pants and pushed them down to the floor. Ripping the buttons off his shirt, Edward climbed on top of me and entered me. The passion rolling off of him as he pushed into me again, left me moaning as Edward showed me his need for me, not just his love. The night was hot and I fell asleep clinging to Edward, so happy that in a week he would be mine forever.

~V~V~V~

**EPOV**

When I got home from my final meeting before the wedding, I walked in the door to see Bella struggling to get the top section of the tree on. I put my bag down and rushed to help her before it fell to the ground. "What are you doing, love?"

"I'm trying to get the tree up before we leave."

Bella crouched in front of the tree to straighten the tree skirt as I picked up the box of ornaments. Holding it out for her, she picked out a tiny ballerina and hung it on the tree. Reaching for the next ornament we quickly found a rhythm and a half an hour later I was reaching up to place the angel on the top of the tree. "Hhmmm?"

"Bella what is it?" I looked down to see a thoughtful look on her face.

"Nothing, I just never got it done that quickly before."

Walking up behind her I put my arms around her waist. "We do make a pretty good team, don't we?"

~V~V~V~

The past week had been filled with a mad dash of last minute details and insanity. Today was Bella's spa day, and as much as I was grateful that I had thought to get her this as a way to distress her before the wedding, I was cursing the fact that I wouldn't see her until the rehearsal dinner, and then she was going back to the Alexis Hotel to spend the night before the wedding there.

Sitting in our living room and staring at the Christmas tree we put up together, our place felt empty without her. I looked over our flight information for tomorrow and double checked that everything was packed. Around two o'clock Emmett showed up to give me some of his sage advice. "Jesus Edward, you're not getting cold feet are you?"

"God no! I'm just nervous about tomorrow. What if I screw up during the ceremony, or I mess up our first dance?"

"Seriously, Bella isn't going to care about any of that. All she's going to care about is the fact that tomorrow you promise forever. You'll be fine, just breathe."

Emmett spent the next half-hour trying to get a preview of my vows, but I wasn't sharing them with anyone before Bella. Jake got in around three o'clock and by 3:30 Jasper showed up looking a little tired. "Jazz, what's wrong with you?"

"It's just Alice, she's ready to have this baby already, and I'm ready to have my wife back."

Emmett rolled his eyes and laughed at us. "Welcome to my world boys."

The four of us hung out until it was time to go to the rehearsal dinner. We drove to La Tua Cantante, the restaurant I brought Bella to for our first date and the only place we wanted our rehearsal dinner to be held. By the time we got there the girls had already arrived and as soon as I saw Bella my heart melted. She looked up as I crossed the room to her and smiled a moment before my lips met hers. The tight blue dress she was wearing made me angry that she wouldn't be coming home with me tonight. I held her close as we said our hello's to everyone, finally taking her seat as the waiter approached.

The dinner went by far too quickly, as I knew it would, and soon we were enjoying our dessert. As the night came to a close I walked Bella out, driving her new Chevy home so we wouldn't have to worry about it tomorrow. As we stood by the back of her car I held her close, running my nose from the crook of her neck up to her ear and back. "I hate that you're not coming home with me, I'm going to miss you tonight."

Bella smiled as she looked up and took my face between both of her hands. "I know, I don't know what I'm going to do all alone in that big bed. But just think, after tonight we'll never sleep alone again."

I kissed her one last time before opening the door to Rosalie's car, closing it behind her as I walked to her SUV. Adjusting the seat before I even got in, I was hit by a wave of her scent the moment the door closed. I drove home slowly; savoring the feeling of closeness I got by driving her car until finally I pulled into the garage. Opening the door to our condo, I quickly went to our room to change, hoping to fall asleep fast so that I could wake up and be that much closer to having Bella as my wife.


	5. One Hand, One Heart

**Disclaimer: The Twilight Saga is the property of Stephenie Meyer. Any or all songs are the property of the copyright owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Here we go…the wedding is finally here! Break out the tissues, because I cried writing parts…mainly the vows, darn that Edward!**

**BPOV**

If I had ever worried about how I was going to handle a big empty bed, the girls quickly took care of that. Waking up at 6:45, I looked around to see Alice on my left, Rosalie on my right, and Leah curled up on the foot of the bed. It was comical really with the pull out couch and the cot that we could have ordered up, but somehow it ended up like a junior high school sleepover with us passing out where we sat. Carefully climbing over Leah, I still managed to trip and wake everyone up. "Sorry, I was hoping to let you sleep for a little while longer."

Alice sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. "Don't worry; we have to get up soon anyway. The stylist…what was her name?"

"Yessi." Rose supplied as she closed the bathroom door.

"Right, Yessi. She'll be here at 8:00, so if you want to eat breakfast we should order it now."

Before I knew it, there was a knock on the door and the last of my food was being whisked away as I was sat down on a comfy stool in the bathroom as Yessi began to put my hair up in curlers.

My nerves were starting to get to me, not that I was nervous to be marrying Edward, but I was anxious to have it over with; I wanted to be his wife already. Getting up while Yessi moved on to do the rest of the girls hair, I answered the door, letting Esme in and hugging her close. "Bella, dear you look so lovely already, is there anything you need help with?"

I smiled and gestured towards my dress. "Actually, could you help me into my corset?"

Esme smiled and walked with me to the bag with my undergarments in it. Quickly taking off my top, Esme fastened me into my tiny torture instrument that the alteration lady at the bridal boutique made me buy so that the dress would look perfect, and although I wasn't fond of it, I had to admit it did make a difference. Next she handed me a bag that was hidden next to the couch. "Bella, I knew you'd be running around like mad this morning, so I wanted you to have something comfortable to wear."

I reached in to see a dark blue jogging suit with 'Mrs. Cullen' stitched over my left breast and again on my right hip. Quickly changing into my underwear and the suit, I zipped it up in time for Yessi to call me back to the stool. Working my hair into a large up-do, with a few soft curls framing my face, I was soon released again so that the girls could start their make-up.

"Bella, Edward wanted me to give you his wedding present before you got your make-up done, so here." She handed me a thin rectangular box and as soon as the top was off I knew what it was.

"Bella, what is it?" Leah called from the bathroom.

"He got us tickets to New York for my birthday next year." I smiled brightly at the printout in the box and then tucked it into my suitcase so it wouldn't get misplaced. "Esme, will you give this to Edward when you see him?"

She took the box from me and with a final hug and a quick check on Alice, she left again. "I'll be back around 10am to help you get into that dress, don't start without me." And with that, I reentered the bathroom.

**EPOV**

It was 9:15 and I was more than slightly aware that Bella was upstairs in the honeymoon suite getting ready for the ceremony while I was in the groom's suite with the guys. Paul and Jared had just left as they went to set up for their performance during the ceremony, and from everything the wedding coordinator had told my mother before she went to see Bella with my gift, today was looking to be problem free. Emmett was almost as excited as Angela, who Irina had just brought up to get ready with the girls after a morning of running around squealing about being a flower girl again. The door opened and my mom walked in with a bright smile and a neatly wrapped box. "Bella loved her gift, and she wanted me to give you this."

I opened the paper on the gift and then lifted the lid to see a star shaped pewter paperweight with the inscription 'I made a wish and you came true' as well as our names and the date on it, sitting next to a matching digital photo frame. Turning on the frame, there were a bunch of pictures I knew, and yet there were a few I had never seen before, a picture of a paint covered Bella in our bedroom, a candid from the bridal shower, and what had to be a picture of Bella and Leah from their trip to New York. Smiling down at the frame, I clutched it to my chest and shook my head. "I am the luckiest SOB there ever was."

Everyone looked over at me and smiled before I gave the gift back to my mom to keep it until we got back from our honeymoon. "How is she mom?"

"She's a ball of excitement, Edward. She's ready to be the new Mrs. Cullen in your life." There goes my mom, starting the waterworks early.

"Mom, she may be the new Mrs. Cullen, but she'll never take the place of the original, I love you mom." Hugging her tightly, she pulled back and looked at the clock on the wall.

"Ooh, I better get back upstairs and help so that we'll be ready for when the photographer comes up. He should be down here around 10:30 for you guys. Be good." With a final kiss, my mom went back to Bella.

**BPOV**

I was ready to start getting dressed, and the photographer would be here any moment, which was of course adding to the nervous energy that had me resembling Alice at the moment, but I couldn't care less. Esme knocked on the door and I let her in with the bouquets. "Esme?"

"He loved the gift, and he can't wait to see you."

"Well he can wait until she walks down the aisle because if he tries to go rogue on us I will hurt him!" Alice bellowed from the bathroom and I couldn't help but laugh. They all came out and I smiled as I gathered them around me. "Okay girls, I wanted to thank you for being in my wedding party and for putting up with all of my insanity and just loving me-"

"No crying!" Yessi and Alice called out in unison, causing a round of laughter as a knock on the door signaled the arrival of the photographer.

"Okay, so here is just a little something as a thank you for everything." I opened Angela's box to show them all the red heart-shaped Murano glass pendant on a platinum chain.

There was a general chatter as each of the girls put on their necklaces and the first snap sounded as the photographer took a picture of me fastening the necklace around Angela's neck. Taking a few shots of my wedding dress where it hung by the window, I went into the bathroom so that I could put on the dress in a moment. Less than an hour and I'll be walking towards Edward, that's all I can focus on.

"Earth to Bella?" I shook my head to see Leah standing in front of me. "Quit dreaming of your hottie long enough for us to get you ready to see him."

Rose came in with the dress and I stepped into it before the fastened me in. Helping me into my shoes, with the sixpence I had given Alice already secured inside. Stepping out the camera continued to click as Yessi handed me my emergency kit, fastened my veil into my hair and then wished me well. As I looked in the mirror hanging above the dresser, Esme came up behind me and placed a necklace filled with large square cut rubies around my neck. "This necklace has been in the Masen family since the 1920's when my grandfather bought it for my grandmother, Bella, I'd be honored if you wore it today."

Esme had told me not to worry about a necklace but I had never dreamed she would do something like this. The tears couldn't be stopped as I blinked furiously and spun around to hug her. "Esme…I don't have words…"

"You don't need them dear, just be good to one another." Hugging her again, it was Carlisle's voice that caught my attention.

"My son is done for the moment he sees you." I looked up to see Carlisle looking at me with misty eyes.

"Thank you Carlisle." He hugged me as well and the photographer took some group shots before heading to the door with a death threat from Alice.

"If you show any of the men the pictures you took up here…" the photographer's laugh ended the threat.

"Don't worry, I know better than to cross a bridesmaid. Congratulations Bella." With one last hug from Esme and Carlisle, they followed the photographer to take photos with Edward.

Now thoroughly stewing in the half an hour I had left, Leah made sure we had everything ready to make the move downstairs. My honeymoon bags were sitting near my change for the flight to a destination unknown, while everything we had needed last night and this morning was now packed in the bag that Leah was going to drop off at our place after the wedding. I had my something old and borrowed in Esme's necklace, my something new was nearly everything else, and my something blue, was a navy garter that Leah was currently sliding as high up my leg as it would go, saying he had to _earn _it. Finally, a staff member for the hotel told us that the groom's room was empty and we could safely make our way down to the bridal room without being seen by Edward. I took a deep breath, knowing in a few minutes I would be walking towards the start of a new life.

**EPOV**

It seemed like 17 eternities since I woke up this morning, but when Mistaken for Bears took up their instruments, with a traditional bass taking the place of Collin's bass guitar, something I found really quite impressive, I knew it was time. Garrett almost galloped down the aisle as _Clair de Lune_ began, before taking his exact spot behind where Jake would be standing in a moment. Next, Angela made her way down the aisle, now a seasoned flower girl, and went to her place on the girl's side. Rosalie and Jake walked at a brisk pace, with a wink from Rose letting me know that was no accident. Alice who looked truly amazing, and like she could pop at any moment, walked on Jasper's arm. About halfway down the aisle, she stopped and my heart froze, but after a deep breath they continued the rest of the way where Jasper reluctantly let go of his wife. Finally, Emmett and Leah practically ran down the aisle, holding in what I'm sure was hysterics over how anxious Bella and I were to see each other. Those two were a lot alike, and they could dish it out pretty bad when they wanted to.

As the song morphed and changed to Lionel Richie's _Ballerina Girl_ my breath caught as Bella entered my field of vision. Walking down the aisle alone, she was the most beautiful thing in the world in her asymmetrical layered tulle dress and my great-grandmother's necklace. The words Jared had begun to sing perfectly fit the moment.

_Ballerina Girl  
You are so lovely  
With you standing there  
I'm so aware  
Of how much I care for you_

_You are more than now  
You are for always  
I can see in you  
My dreams come true  
Don't you ever go away_

_You make me feel like  
There's nothing I can't do  
And when I hold you  
I only want to say  
I love you_

_Ballerina Girl  
The joy you bring me  
Every day and night  
Holding you tight  
How I've waited for your love_

After what seemed like an hour, Bella finally reached me and I took her hands in mine. The ceremony began, with little catching my attention as I focused on the angel before me, that is, until my father got up to do his reading.

"This is Shakespeare's 116th Sonnet. 'Let me not to the marriage of true minds, admit impediments. Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove: Oh, no! It is an ever-fixed mark. That looks on tempests and is never shaken; it is the star to every wandering bark, whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks within his bending sickle's compass come; love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved.'"

Soon enough Alice made her way to the podium to read "To Be One with Each Other" by George Eliot.

"'What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined together to strengthen each other in all labor, to minister to each other in all sorrow, to share with each other in all gladness, to be one with each other in the silent unspoken memories?'"

Now it was our turn. At some point in the wedding planning, Bella had declared that she wanted to say her vows first because she would never make it through hers after I spoke, so I conceded, but I knew right now that had been a mistake.

"Edward, when I met you, I had already been through so much that I wasn't sure I would ever find love, and then you walked into my bar, and even then I didn't have a clue that I was meeting my future. From that first week you've protected me, and laughed with me, and loved me. You gave me a family when I was all alone, love when I didn't think it was out there, and a life I never thought I'd have. So…'you ask how much I need you, must I explain. I need you, oh my darling, like roses need rain. You ask how long I'll love you, I'll tell you true, until the 12th of never, I'll still be loving you.'"

I felt the tear hit my cheek as she recited the words to one of my favorite Johnny Mathis songs to me as the end of her vows. Now I have to try to make it through my own vows.

"Isabella Marie Swan, from the moment I met you, you've saved me countless times with a single word. Yes. From that first day a year ago today, when you let me work for you so that I could get the research for my book. To staying with me after the break-in, to being there for me when the accident happened and taking me back without hesitation, even after everything I put you through, to agreeing to marry me. You had such a faith in me that you took my idiocy and my enthusiasm in stride, and you saved me from myself. You are a mystery of human kindness and survival, and I am a better author for having known you, and a better man for having loved you and for having your love in return. So it's my turn to say yes to you, for the rest of my life, I will be what you need, give you what you ask of me and love you more every single day. Until as you once put it, we're sitting in a pair of rocking chairs on each other's deaf sides, having separate conversations and loving every minute of it."

Bella blotted away her tears with her 'magic little hanky' and then mouthed "no fair" before breaking into a brilliant smile. The rest of the ceremony went quickly until the moment I slid the ring on her finger and felt her place the ring on mine, and then it seemed like forever before we were declared man and wife and I finally got to kiss Bella. Pulling her face to mine I kissed her tenderly and with all of the love in my heart filtering into it, showing her with that kiss what my words had told her, that she was mine forever.

We walked back up the aisle to "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life" and then once we were all at the bridal suite I wrapped my arms around Bella before Rose and Leah pulled her away. "Edward, wipe the lipstick off and meet us by the front door in five minutes so we can take pictures and head back to the reception."

Doing as I was told, I stole one last kiss before my wife went off to fix her make-up. My wife.

**BPOV**

Edward kissed me quickly before I was dragged to the bathroom. Within minutes I was back at his side and loving the bubble of joy that enveloped us. Going first to a park a few blocks from the hotel, we took pictures by the gorgeous evergreen trees and then headed back to the waterfront to pose with the water and Edward's ferryboats as the backdrop, before finally returning to the hotel to take pictures in front of the large fireplace and warm setting of the galleries. It was a few minutes later that we waited outside the hall where Nik announced us like we were football players getting ready to take the field. After we stood back and let them introduce the bridal party we heard the rumble before a ridiculously remixed version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" began and Nicole announced us. "For the first time in public, let me present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen!"

We walked through the double doors and ran under the raised arms of our small bridal party as all of our guests cheered before Edward pulled me to him and held me tightly to his chest. "I love you, Mrs. Cullen."

I jumped slightly at the timbre that he used to envelop my new name, and knew it was going to be a long evening. "Okay everyone, I'm going to need you to clear the floor for Edward and Bella's first dance as husband and wife."

Edward placed one hand on the small of my back and took my hand in the other as "When You Say Nothing at All" came over the sound system. As we spun around in tight circles Edward began to sing along in my ear.

_It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart_  
_Without saying a word you can light up the dark_  
_Try as I may I can never explain  
What I hear when you don't say a thing_  
_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me_  
_There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me_  
_The touch of your hand says you'll catch me whenever I fall_  
_You say it best when you say nothing at all_

We continued to dance until the song came to an end and I reluctantly let go of him as Carlisle came over to take my hand as he held me close.

"Dance with my Father" started playing and Carlisle spun me around and showed off my dancing. Pulling me close again, he took the private moment to speak to me. "Bella, I can't begin to know how you must feel today, but I'm honored that you would ask me to share this dance with you. You've been a member of this family since Edward brought you home for Christmas, and I'm overjoyed that you made it official because you and Edward make each other so happy. And more than anything else, our children's happiness is the most important to Esme and me, so thank you for making our family complete."

The dance ended, leaving me once again in need of my handkerchief at Carlisle's touching words as Edward kissed my forehead before taking his mother onto the dance floor to share a turn to "Unforgettable."

**EPOV**

As much as I enjoyed the dance with my mom, all I wanted was to be back with Bella. As soon as that was possible we danced and laughed to some of our favorite songs, including "Bella" which instantly made her blush. Sitting down to enjoy the delicious food we were back on the floor the moment the opening chords of "I Can Love You Like That" played, and although I'm not a big fan of country music, the message of living up to all the fabled love stories appealed to me, because if anyone could, I would definitely try.

Going back to our table for the main course, I chose to serenade Bella when "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" came up, as we were still eating. When it was time to cut the cake I knew better than shoving the dark red cake into Bella's face and was handsomely rewarded as she took her time sucking the icing off of my fingers. Sitting down to eat our cake, it was soon time for the garter toss, something else I was extremely excited for.

A blush crept up Bella's neck and face as she sat down in front of everyone and I slid my hands slowly up her leg and was pleased at how long it took me to find the garter where it had been placed on her upper thigh, God I hope that was Leah and not Alice coming up with that idea. Taking it off, I stood up and my eyes scanned the room for Eli, which wasn't hard with him in his military uniform, as I shot it right at him.

Leah, sensing the setup, stood alone on the floor where Bella lobbed her bouquet at her and then Eli and Leah shared a sweet kiss before they began dancing to "Beauty" by Dru Hill. I knew our time at our wedding was nearing an end, as Bella and I would soon be rushing off to catch our flight. I leaned down to ask her if there was anyone she wanted to dance with that she hadn't gotten the chance to, but she just smiled told me that she'd done all her dancing with her boys, and that the only name left on her dance card was mine.

Our wedding had truly been a beautiful event, only out shadowed by the beauty of my bride herself. As we spent those last few moments together at our reception, Nicole announced it was time for our final dance as Joey McIntyre's "Endlessly" started. Holding her tight, I savored those last moments before we were barraged by rice at the exit of the hall and Leah and Rose took Bella to change and I followed Emmett into the groom's room.

"No monkey business on the plane, little brother, it's tacky and overdone." Leave it to Emmett to impart me with some quality last-minute advice. Changing into jeans and a t-shirt, I shrugged on my coat before getting my luggage and going to find Tyler, who I had specifically requested to take us to the airport. He loaded both mine and Bella's bags, which Alice was watching outside the suite.

"Have a great time Edward; you can thank us when you get home." Hugging Alice she laughed before kissing me quickly as Bella emerged in a white cotton dress that was gathered and fell just below her knee. I helped her on with her jacket and carried both of our carry-ons in one hand, holding her hand in the other. Stepping out into the freezing air of the December night, I caught Bella as she slipped on a small patch of ice before helping her into the limo and climbing in after her to head off to our own personal paradise.

**There you go ladies and gents! Thank you for all your patience and I promise I won't run on too long hanky, which will be explained fully when they have a kid, but the idea is it is a hanky that is folded and stitched up, and you use it as a handkerchief at your wedding and then because of the way it is sewn together, you can use it as a bonnet at your children's Christenings and then they use it, or give it to their future bride, to use at their wedding and the tradition continues. This chapter has been something I've been working towards since I started these stories so PLEASE leave me love and let me know what you thought about the B&E nuptials!**


	6. Reality Lost, Paradise Found

**Disclaimer: The Twilight Saga is the property of Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**So I had originally planned to make this two chapters, but in the middle I realized that there's a reason the SM glossed over things while writing the honeymoon in _BD. _It was getting a little repetitive as I wrote it, so I switched tactics, knowing that you'd wind up hearing some when they tell the family when they got back. I fell in love with this location, and now I'm getting to have fun with the lack of details because that means that I can write it how it'll work for B&E! This has been a long time in the making! I'm so excited to let you in on the secret…**

**Also the POV will shift back and forth in this chapter. I did that because I wanted you to get the events of the honeymoon from the best angle, so if something meant more to one of them, or could be told better from their perspective I went with it, sorry if it switches back and forth too much, but this chapter is a beast so it shouldn't be too bad.**

**BPOV**

"Dallas? Edward you have like 15 boarding passes over there, where are you taking me?" I reached for the paper sleeve, but of course, he was too quick.

"You've been so patient these past few months; can you please trust me for a few more hours?"

He shot me the crooked smile that he knew I couldn't resist and I sighed, resigning myself to trust my husband. Wow, that'll take some getting used to.

"I trust you, but back then it was just an idea, now I want to know where I'll be sleeping tonight."

He frowned slightly before the corner of his lips pulled up. "You'll be sleeping in my arms, but anything beyond that you'll have to wait for." Kissing me before I could comment, I melted into his chest as we went through security.

By the time we sat down on the plane, the events of the day had caught up to me and I was asleep before the plane even took off.

~V~V~V~

"Bella, Beelllllaa." I cracked one of my eyes open to see Edward smiling over at me. "How was your nap?" I looked around groggily and realized we were about to land in Dallas.

"You couldn't have waited until we landed?" I pouted as Edward reached across me to raise my seat so I was ready for the landing.

"Bella, are you afraid of flying?" He looked at me seriously, like he was trying to read the worry on my face.

"Just landing." As the plane began its final descent I started to fidget until Edward took my hands.

"Well then Mrs. Cullen, I promise that next time I'll let you sleep through it, but for now how about I take your mind off of it." With that his lips were on mine and I was in heaven as I felt the hard bump of the wheels touching down.

Breaking the kiss I looked into his eyes and started giggling. "You seem to like my new name as much as I do?"

Rolling his eyes, he kissed me once more before we unbuckled ourselves. "I _love_ your new name. In fact, I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing you called by that title."

Getting off the plane I realized just how late it was, and Edward and I ran to the next gate so we could relax once we arrived. With Edward off to get us some coffee, I was quickly surprised by a familiar voice.

**EPOV**

Watching Bella sleep peacefully on the six hour flight to Dallas was a blessing, because I wanted her to be conscious when we finally arrived at our destination. I was walking back with our coffee when I saw Bella enthusiastically hugging some buff blonde guy. She was obviously excited to see him and although I knew I had nothing to worry about when it came to my girl, that didn't stop my hurried pace as I appeared beside her. She turned to me and wrapped her arm around the back of my waist. "And speaking of the handsome devil himself, Felix, this is my husband Edward, Edward, this is Felix, we went to school together in Phoenix."

Smiling at him, I shook his hand and he smiled back at us both. "Well Bells, you sure do know how to pick 'em. Does he have any brothers?" Wait…what?

Bella cackled, before blushing at how loud it was in the relative quiet of the sleepy airport. "One, but he's married with three kids, and besides, Emmett has nothing on my man." We sat with Felix for a few minutes before his flight to New York was announced. Promising to keep in touch, Bella gave him one last hug before he called out.

"Have fun kiddies, and don't do anything I would do." As he walked away I couldn't help but laugh as Bella snuggled into my side with her gingerbread latte.

Soon enough they announced the boarding of all first class passengers for our flight to Miami. Bella may grumble, but with four flights between home and our destination there was no way I was skimping on this, plus when you were in first class and you moved the arm rest out of the way you had a lot more room to lay together, which was all I wanted.

As the flight attendant smiled at us when we entered the plane, Bella stumbled and almost lost her footing. "Bella, are you okay?"

She grumbled and then moved to the window seat as I placed our bags in the overhead compartment. "Fine, I'm just super clumsy when I'm tired, and it seems that latte didn't do enough to perk me up."

Sitting down, I moved the armrest and settled in next to her before a finger tapped my shoulder. "I'm so sorry to bother you, but are you Edward Cullen?"

I turned around to see a young woman in her early 20's. "Yes I am."

She smiled and then looked at Bella apologetically. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have intruded-"

I held out my hand for the book she was clutching to her stomach. I wasn't getting mobbed by autograph hounds like whatever "it" guy of the moment, so I wasn't the type to turn away fans, especially when they were polite about it. "What's your name?"

"Kate." She smiled and looked down at the ground.

"Kate, that's one of my niece's names." I signed the book and then Bella caught our attention.

"Do you want a picture?" Bella had noticed the blackberry tucked into her pocket and was soon snapping a picture of Kate and I before she thanked us both and sat down across from us, turning to her spot near the end of my book.

This flight was considerably shorter and when we finally landed, an announcement made the entire plane groan. "I'm sorry ladies and gentlemen, but there's a little bit of a back up at the gates, so we will have to sit here for a little while until it clears up."

I was particularly worried, we had just over an hour and a half until our connection and the number of flights between Miami and Barbados were limited. Getting the flight attendants attention, she assured us that the same delay that was causing us to be behind would also affect our connection and that she would personally call ahead to the gate and make sure they knew we were on one of the planes held on the tarmac. "Edward relax, worse comes to worse, we'll get a hotel room here and fly out tomorrow."

"Baby, if I thought I could check into a hotel room with you and then just leave the next morning, I would have done it last night, but I didn't think you'd enjoy a Dallas honeymoon."

She laughed and I turned to Kate, who was deep in her next book. I tapped her arm and she looked up. "Yes Mr. Cullen?"

I smiled and reached for the bag at my feet. "Please Kate, call me Edward. And I was wondering if you could return the favor my wife did for you earlier and take a picture of us?"

She nodded and then gawked at my SLR camera, but quickly turned it on and snapped a few pictures before handing it back for our approval. Thanking her again, I put it away and soon the pilot announced we were approaching the gate.

Making our way to the seating area by our next gate, Bella started to get visibly excited. "We're going to Barbados?"

"No, we're flying through Barbados. But I promise the flight from Barbados to our honeymoon is only 30 minutes."

"Edward, do we have time to grab some food?" I looked down to see that we did have a little time so I led her to the food court a few gates down. After getting sandwiches that we could carry on the plane and some bottled water and snacks, we headed back to the gate and waited for them to announce boarding for our flight.

After we were safely in the air, we ate our sandwiches and then tucked in to listen to Bella's I-Pod, each sharing an ear bud as she played through a list she had created while planning the wedding. Most were songs we danced to, or songs that held particular significance to us, but when "I'll Make Love To You" started playing I groaned, because if I had thought this whole thing out better, I wouldn't have dragged Bella half way around the world for our honeymoon, but as it was, I knew she'd flip out when she saw it.

~V~V~V~

"Earth to Edward, come in Edward." I heard the laugh in Bella's voice as she brushed the hair off of my forehead and then stroked my cheek. Opening my eyes, her face was only inches from mine as she looked into my eyes; her eyes were pools of rich chocolate staring back at me. "We're landing in a minute so you have to fix your seat and buckle up."

I got ready to land and then took both of Bella's hands and held them as she cringed at the planes descent. "You're all right love, and soon we'll be in our room."

Bella sighed happily at the idea of finally being done with all of this flying and I guffawed at her expression. When our plane landed at the Bridgetown Airport, we went to collect our luggage and then I walked her past the exits to the small counter for the charter company I had booked our flight with.

"We have a reservation, the name is Edward Cullen."

The young woman behind the counter typed in the information and then smiled at us and spoke in slightly accented English. "Ahh yes, here it is. Let me load your luggage onto the trolley and then I'll escort you out onto the tarmac."

I pulled Bella into my side and her arm wrapped around my back as we walked outside into the bright sun and approached the small plane. Two men exited the craft and began loading our baggage as the young woman brought us around near the front of the plane. Motioning for us to get close, I pulled Bella in front of me as we smiled for the photo. Checking the photo quickly, she nodded and by that time our luggage was stowed and the two men approached. "Hi, my name is Arthur and I'll be your pilot today, and this is Bert, my co-pilot."

We shook both of their hands as they motioned for us to walk up the stairs and onto the plane, so after picking up our carry-ons I led Bella to our seats as we prepared for take-off.

"Alright Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, the flight is about 25 minutes from take-off to landing, and the weather is clear so please fasten your seat belts and we'll be off in a moment."

Gripping her hand again, I kissed her knuckles as the plane took off. We were both awake for this flight, and without the distraction that was a plane full of other people, I let my eyes and my thoughts wander to exactly what I would do with my wife once we landed. "Enjoying the view, Mr. Cullen?"

My eyes flashed up and Bella leaned into my shoulder, running her hand up my leg and sliding it along my groin to my crotch. "I've always enjoyed staring at your beautiful face, but seeing you in that white dress…it makes me want to see what it'll look like in a pile on the floor next to the bed." I raised an eyebrow at her and she applied a little more pressure than she had been a minute before.

"If you like what you see now, wait until you know what's on underneath." She winked and I nearly attacked her right there, as it was Arthur announced our descent and the smile faded off of Bella's face for the briefest of seconds before my hand made a trip of its own, pushing up the fabric of her dress as I glided up her inner thigh. Bella's knees closed, trapping my hand a few inches from her apex, as she let out a stilted breathe. "Be good, I'd like to make it to the hotel tonight."

With a slight bounce, the plane landed and pulled to a stop on the small runway. Bella and I got ourselves ready to de-board when she stopped me. "Will you please tell me what the name of the island is?"

I smiled and whispered into her ear. "Mustique Island. We're staying in a private villa on the north coast of the island."

She turned to look at me with a glimmer in her eye, making everything worth it. As we stepped off the plane a young man was loading our things into the back of the jeep and I took Bella's hand as we approached him. "Edward, are they going to mail you the picture they took of us by the plane in Barbados or do we get it while we're here?"

I laughed quietly before answering. "Bella that picture was for insurance, in case the plane crashed, that's why the picture they show on the news is always of the passengers posing by the plane."

I felt the tug before the last words came out of my mouth and when I turned Bella's face was horror struck. "What?" It was barely a whisper, and in a flash I was in front of her, my hands on her face, trying to calm her.

"Fuck. Baby, I shouldn't have said it like that, I'm sorry. But everything's fine now, we're safe and we're about to start our honeymoon, so please just relax and forget I ever made that boneheaded remark." She tried to take in a deep breath but it just dragged in her lungs, catching more than once on the way in. A single tear escaped her eye and I wanted to kick my own ass for the flippant comment, God was I a dick! "Bella, love-"

"I'm fine; just don't joke about things like that, okay?" She looked up at me through her lashes, and I knew she had already forgiven me, wanting to celebrate instead of dwelling.

I smiled, kissing away her lone tear. "Okay."

The man who had been packing our luggage walked over to introduce himself. "Hello Mr. & Mrs. Cullen, my name is Corin and I am the manager of the villa staff. May I be the first to welcome you to Mustique Island."

I reached my hand out to shake his and Bella melded into my side, her hand on my chest. "We have a staff?" Bella looked at me incredulously.

"Yes ma'am. Every one of the villas has its own staff, to handle the needs of the guests. Yours is waiting back at Moana for your arrival."

"Moana?" Bella was completely lost and I smiled into her hair.

"That's the name of our villa, it's Hawaiian for ocean. Welcome to our own private getaway."

Bella sighed as we walked over to the Jeep. The relatively short drive was made painfully slow by the island-wide 20mph speed limit, Bella joking that she'd have to do all the driving to keep us out of trouble. Corin told us about the shops and different places to go for nightlife as well as the excursions that were offered, but I was too keyed up to listen, besides, I had a feeling Bella was catching far more of what we were being told. Turning onto a dirt road, we snaked our way up towards the north coast and within a little while we arrived at the villa.

Standing outside on the stone walkway were a man and a woman, both slight in their appearance and dutifully waiting for us.

**BPOV**

We have a staff. I heard it when Corin mentioned it to us at the airstrip and on the drive up, but seeing the two people standing in front of us was completely different. Corin gestured in front of us as he continued his speech. "This is Amun, your cook, and Kebi, the maid. You will make arrangements with them as to your requests for the duration of your stay. There is also a gardener, who will keep a similar schedule to Kebi so as to stay out of your way. If you need to make any special arrangements, the numbers are all in the directory inside, and your staff can help you find anything you may need. Have a wonderful stay, and congratulations." With that, Corin began unloading our luggage and Edward stepped forward with me to speak to our staff.

"We've had a very long trip, so Kebi, could you come tomorrow with Amun so we can discuss when we'd like you to come by during our stay?"

"Of course sir, is there anything you'll be needing tonight?"

"No, I think we should be fine." Kebi nodded and helped Corin carry in some of our smaller luggage. "Amun, tonight I think it would be best if we didn't do anything too exotic, maybe we could ease our way into the flavors the island has to offer."

"I know the perfect dish, and for breakfast, I'll make a traditional American breakfast. When would you like us to arrive tomorrow?"

Edward thought about it for a moment and then looked down at me. "Why don't you come by around 10:30, and when do you think you could have our dinner by?"

Amun smiled. "I could deliver your dinner anytime you like. It could be ready in as little as an hour."

"Make it two, and you can set it up in the dining room."

"Very well sir, ma'am. Have a pleasant evening."

Corin and Kebi exited the villa and Corin handed Edward the keys before they got in two jeeps, leaving the little golf cart like vehicle assigned to the villa behind, and drove back down the path. My eyes followed the cars down the path, and then I shrieked as Edward swept me into his arms and began walking towards the door.

"Edward!"

"Bella, I'm doing this right, which means I'm carrying all the way to our bedroom, so enjoy the ride." I giggled and leaned in close to his ear.

"I intend to do just that!" The whisper sent a shiver down his spine as he opened the door and walked into the dining room. There was a bedroom just off of it with a large open wall that allowed you to see through the dining room and onto the verandah which overlooked the ocean below. Walking through the large room we entered the completely white living room, with white furniture and sun-bleached driftwood decorating the exquisite room. The entire villa was white, with tiny hints of tropical colors. Edward walked out of the living room and onto a covered walkway until he stepped foot in the bedroom. Our luggage was visible in the large closet, but my eyes were focused on the large bed with its deep turquoise comforter adorned with gold palm trees. Gauzy material came down from the ceiling and hung down to the corners, giving the effect of a canopy without all the fabric to get in the way. Edward placed me on my feet and I reached out to touch the bed when Edward came up behind me.

"What are you thinking love?"

I turned to him, overcome by the emotion of the moment. "I was just thinking that I have the most amazing husband in the world, and I want to show him just how much I love him." I pulled him to me by his biceps and he crashed into me, a tangle of arms and legs and lips and tongues.

"Bella, don't you want to freshen up?" He whispered against my lips as his legs hit the edge of the bed, I knew he was asking for my benefit, not wanting to separate and neither did I.

"We'll shower after."

He moaned as I reached down and grabbed the hem of his shirt and threw it off of him before I ran my fingers up his chest. Edward wasted no time, kicking off his shoes and unbuttoning his jeans, dropping both them and his boxers as he stood before me completely naked. I turned, kicking off my sandals and moved my hair, allowing him access to the zipper on my dress as he lowered it. Turning to face him, I pushed him back with my hand and he quickly sat on the edge of the bed, his legs parted slightly as he stared at me.

I knew I shouldn't be self-conscious, but a tiny part of me was nervous about the fact that this was our first time as husband and wife. I shrugged out of the dress, letting it fall and pool at my feet and the sharp intake of air from Edward raised my eyes. The intensity of his eyes removed any doubt I may have had.

**EPOV**

My wife is a goddess. The light was warm on her back as it filtered in through the balcony doors. The sun was setting and it enhanced the natural beauty of the woman before me. Under her dress, for nearly 20 hours, she had been wearing that barely there piece of lingerie. The delicate lace cupped her perfect breasts before it billowed down in soft waves down to her hips, leaving her stomach exposed, as well as the sheer lace thong that matched it.

Sliding off the bed I approached her, kissing her passionately as my tongue asked for admission to her mouth and was quickly ushered in by her own. Running my hands over her body they finally found her breasts, and as I massaged them I felt the fabric fall away, having unknowingly caught the blue ribbon holding it in place with my fingers. I pushed it off of her shoulders and then stared down at her. "Bella, never has your name been more perfectly suited to you."

Picking her up again, I sat her on the bed, helping her off with her underwear before I climbed up on top of her, sure to keep my weight off of her body. Kissing her forehead, down her nose and over to her cheeks, I eventually found her lips. After another breathtaking kiss, I continued my descent over her neck and collarbone. Making my way down to the swell of her chest I rested my head against her chest and listened to the hammering beat of her heart before turning and taking her nipple into my mouth. Bella arched into me, her legs falling slightly more open as I worshipped her body, peppering kisses down her stomach and stopping just above her scar.

I thought back to the first night she had shown it to me, allowing me an intimate look at her biggest fear and the thing she least liked about her body. Then I remembered how she told me that she had never allowed anyone 'down there' but a few weeks later, on the night of Alice's wedding, she gave me that gift as well. For the rest of her life, I would be the only man to explore her there, so that is where I intend to start. Placing an open-mouthed kiss on her scar, I settled in between her legs and looked up to meet her eyes, staring down at me with nothing but trust. Lowering my face to her, the silence was soon filled with some of my favorite sounds, Bella's moans and purring filled the room as I licked and flicked and sucked on her sensitive flesh. Bella rose off the bed when I slipped a finger into her warm wetness and bucked when the second joined the first. Playing off of her reactions I soon had her writhing under me and a moment later she called out, making me even harder with her orgasm. "Edward! Oh shit…oh God, Edward!"

Climbing back up her body, I met her hooded eyes as she pulled my face to hers and kissed me. Without breaking the kiss I slid into her and we both moaned at the amazing sensations we were feeling. Pulling out slowly, I set an even pace as Bella clawed at my back, spurring me on as she held me closer. "Bella…Bella…Bella…" I chanted her name reverently as I quickened my pace, with Bella rising to meet each stroke. Trying to prolong tonight, I held on for as long as I could, but the minute Bella told me she was close I began to unravel.

She clenched around me in the same instant that I fell over the edge and the intensity of climaxing together left us both weak as I collapsed on top of her. After another minute, I rolled off of Bella and she sat up before padding over to her suitcase and bending down to take out a change of clothes and her toiletry bag. "You can't do things like that to me baby, otherwise we'll never have dinner tonight."

Swatting at my chest, Bella kicked the side of my suitcase. "Pick out something to wear to bed and meet me in the bathroom, that way we have a prayer of being decent when Amun comes back."

Doing as I was told, I followed Bella into the bathroom as she adjusted the temperature of the water. Joining her in the large glass shower we shared passionate kisses and touches as we bathed each other and then stepped out to dry off. Watching her slip on a Grecian inspired purple teddy was hard to resist, but when she slipped on the white robe with our monogram on her left breast I nearly burst with pride. Slipping on my shorts, Bella stayed behind to finish her hair while I walked into the dining room to see our food already on the table. Opening the wine and pouring two glasses, Bella joined me and sat on my lap, even though the table easily sat four. "Is everything okay?"

A bright smile lit up her face as she turned her face into my neck. "Perfect, I just don't want to leave your side for the rest of the night."

So we sat there and ate the amazing steak dinner that had been prepared for us, and when we were done, we made our way back to the bedroom to snuggle together and watch the waves come in.

~V~V~V~

**BPOV**

The sun was bright through the slits in the shutters on the French doors that lead to the balcony for the bedroom. I looked up to see that Edward was still sleeping peacefully and I leaned up on my arm to see him from a better angle. Tears filled my eyes as I looked down at Edward, he was perfect and somehow, he was mine. Turning towards the window to look out into the jungle that surrounded our villa, I felt Edward's thumb trace across my cheek, catching one of the stray tears that had escaped. "Bella?"

I turned back to him and kissed him sweetly before resting my forehead on his. "I love you, Edward Cullen, thank you for this…it's perfect."

Edward sat up and took my face in his hands. "Anything for you love, anything for you." Just then my stomach growled and we both laughed. "Amun should be here any minute, do you want to go wait for him, or do you need a moment?"

"I need a moment. But after breakfast, I want to explore a little." Edward smiled and kissed my temple before he went out into the common area of the villa.

Quickly washing my face and putting my hair up in a large bun, I slipped on a pair of tan shorts, tank top and a pair of sneakers and headed back out to the dining room. Amun was placing the platters with our breakfast on the table, last night's dinner cart already absent from the kitchen. Edward pulled out a chair for me as close to the edge of the table as possible and I sat down before he moved his chair close to mine and sat down as well. Amun left with a quiet nod and Edward and I were left alone to enjoy our eggs.

After breakfast was done, Kebi arrived and Edward told her that we would be going out most afternoons so she could come by then, but if our plans changed we would make arrangements then. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, Edward and I were finally ready to go. We got in the golf cart and drove out towards town. I wanted to see everything the island had to offer, so I bounced excitedly next to Edward as we made our way towards the shops.

Colorful buildings marked two of the largest stores on the island, Pink House and Purple House. Both sold clothing and accessories as well as souvenirs and as I browsed picking out things I wanted to buy for our family, I noticed that Edward was suspiciously absent from my side. Soon he came back inside and I met his smirk with a questioning gaze. "Alice spent so much time looking at the website, she asked me to get her something from The Pink House, she loved the description they had for their clothing." I shook my head, thousands of miles away, and Alice still managed to get some shopping in. After picking out a few outfits that I could wear while we were here, slightly afraid of what Alice had packed for me, we checked out and headed to some more shopping destinations.

Stopping next at Corea's Food Store, we picked up some fruit and little snacks, as well as champagne and wine. Finally we stopped at Sweetie Pie Bakery and bought some delicious smelling bread and other little baked goods for later today. Walking out, Edward dragged me over to the Spa, where he made us an appointment for a couple's day. On the drive back, we looked around at the wildlife that flew through the trees and scampered across the jungle floor. When we arrived back to the villa, we set out to finally unpack and then took the activities binder with us for our poolside lunch. I still couldn't get over the fact that our villa had not only two pools, but access to a private beach, with no villa nearby for us to be bothered by.

Lunch was nice and soon after Edward and I slipped into our bathing suits and appeared back on the verandah. Sitting down on one of the many lounge chairs, Edward applied sunscreen to my back and shoulders and I did the same for him. After, we took a stroll down our private beach. Turning back, Edward pulled me into the surf. We walked about calf deep and when we got closer to the villa Edward pulled me into deeper water.

He brought me to his body and I wrapped my legs around his waist. Pressing my lips to his, I was instantly rewarded with his hands cupping my ass and pulling me against him. The top of my bathing suit thankfully didn't have any straps so Edward took advantage and flipped it down and began to lavish my breasts with attention. "Edward…"

"Yes?" He asked the question to my left breast.

"Take me back to the villa." The fire burning in his eyes must have matched my own as he almost fell over twice running out of the water and onto the path up to the villa. I held in the laughter as he continued to run through the house towards the bedroom. "Not the bed, we'll get it wet."

Without saying a word Edward turned towards the verandah, grabbing a throw blanket on the way out and dumped it on the back of the lawn chair. He sat my feet down on the deck and I held onto his waist as we continued the same passionate kiss that had started in the water, breaking apart only to take a breath. Hooking my fingers into his shorts, I pulled them down and smiled as I pushed on his chest, eyeing the chair. He sat down as I pulled off my own wet bathing suit; I'm sure looking anything but sexy, and straddled him on the super comfy lawn chair. Sitting up on my knees, I slid slowly over his length and rested my forehead on his shoulder once he was fully sheathed inside me. "Tell me what you want, Edward."

His breathing was ragged as he answered. "Let go baby. Just don't think about who could possibly see, or what someone might think…it's just us here."

With those words I reached past him, pressing my breasts against his chest as I grabbed the release for the back of the lounger and watched as he fell almost flat before I caught it, leaving him at a little less than a 30 degree angle. Leaning forward over him again, I gripped the side of the chair on either side of his head and rose off of him before slamming back down. Keeping up a steady pace I watched with satisfaction as Edward's eyes rolled into the back of his head. I hated to be sitting straight up in this position, mainly because I was self-conscious, so being able to lean forward allowed me the freedom to do what Edward asked, because I would do anything for him.

Edward's hands ghosted up my thighs to my ass and then down to the back of my knees. The circuit his fingers were running was driving me crazy, so I leaned into him, kissing from the hollow below his ear all the way down his neck to repay the favor. Gripping my ass, he began to take over, slamming up into me as he pushed me down onto him. My head fell forward and my hair fell around my face, hiding us in the curtain of my hair. The intensity of our gaze and the privacy my hair provided was enough to push me over the edge, with Edward following quickly. Exhausted, I collapsed on top of Edward, shifting so I could get comfortable next to him as he pulled down the blanket and covered us up. "Baby, that was…"

I chuckled to myself. "Glad I can still render you speechless."

"Bella, every time I look at you, I'm amazed that I can form words at all."

~V~V~V~

**EPOV**

I felt a trembling beside me and I opened my eyes to see Bella still asleep beside me, the cool evening breeze off the ocean combined with the sweat from our afternoon activities cooling on her skin. Slightly stiff from staying in one position for too long, I slid out from under her, tucking the blanket in around her tightly as I went off into the bathroom. Running the tub, I got one of the bottles of champagne from the kitchen and noticed our dinner with a note from Amun on how to reheat it if necessary. Going to the fruit from the market, I got a bowl and walked to the bathroom, turning off the water and turning on the jets. Returning to the verandah, I scooped Bella up into my arms and kissed her shoulder as she began to stir. "Hey there."

Bella smiled up at me. "Hey yourself, handsome."

Setting her on her feet, I popped the cork on the champagne and poured us two glasses before I climbed into the tub and helped her in as she joined me. Settling in, our muscles relaxed under the heat of the water and the gentle massage of the whirlpool. We sipped on the champagne and fed each other fruit as we melted into one another.

After a while we climbed out and I reheated our food and we ate in the living room before Bella went to her bag and returned with a zipper CD case in her hands. "Can we watch a movie tonight, I just want to veg?"

"Sounds like a great idea, what did you have in mind?"

Bella grinned and opened it up. "Can we watch _A Muppet Christmas Carol_, I love that movie."

"Put it in, I haven't seen it in years." Bella got up and put the DVD in the player under the large flat screen TV on the right wall. We cuddled together as Michael Caine appeared on screen scowling at the Muppets that surrounded him.

"I love Rizzo; he's one of my favorite parts." Bella commented as the movie continued.

After the movie, we went to bed and I slept soundly with her in my arms.

~V~V~V~

The next morning, Bella and I headed out to explore the jungle on one of the excursions. Breaking out my camera yet again, we hiked through the jungle finally arriving at the waterfall. Bella and I stood at the edge of the water; the look of wonder on her face was so beautiful that I had to snap a picture. Bella grumbled about the humidity's affect on her hair, but I just snapped another photo before leaning in to kiss her. These were the moments that made this location so perfect. So few people got to see the things we were experiencing and for the rest of our lives we could look back on it with joy.

**BPOV**

I couldn't believe how quickly the trip was speeding by. Every day was another experience and I was constantly overwhelmed by what we got to see and do. With only three days left we were going on yet another hike through the jungle, those seemed to be Edward's favorite. Our days were filled with excursions and our nights were filled with passionate love making and cuddling as we watched movies together. It was everything I could hope for and I was sad to know it would be coming to an end. On our way back, I was lost in my thoughts as I walked just behind Edward. Not paying attention to my feet, I tripped over a root and fell forward, cutting my hand open. Edward was at my side in an instant and as he tried to help me to my feet my left ankle buckled under me, causing me to yell out in pain. "Bella, are you okay?" The fear in his eyes and voice was unmistakable and I quickly tried to soothe him.

"I'm fine; I just rolled my ankle, that and my hand." I held it out, not a big fan of the sight of blood.

Edward picked me up and quickly made his way back to the villa. When we got there he carried me directly to the bathroom and sat me on the counter. Running to the kitchen, he came back with the first aid kit and quickly washed the cut, bandaging it up and kissing my taped up hand when he was done. Lifting up my left foot, he took off my shoe and sock, making me wince. He bent my foot back and forth, before rolling it easily, satisfying himself that I hadn't broken it, and at the worst had a badly twisted ankle. Going back to the kitchen he came in and carried me to the bed, sitting a pillow under my foot and laying a bag of ice over it. "I should have been paying better attention."

I grabbed his hand. "Edward, I tripped. Seriously, you can't blame yourself for this, besides it's nothing." Edward relaxed some as I cuddled against his chest, falling asleep.

~V~V~V~

When Edward and I woke up around 1am, we were totally wired. Getting that devilish look in his eye, Edward ran from the room and came back a few minutes later with a small basket and the throw blanket. "Hop on." He said as he stood by the side of the bed. Moving over, I threw the bag of water into the garbage and climbed onto his back. He carried me effortlessly along with his parcel down to the beach. Heading only slightly down the sand, he rested the basket on the sand and opened up the blanket, weighing down one corner with the basket before sitting me in the center and using his shoes and his camera to weigh down the rest. Straddling my body from behind, Edward tugged at my shirt and I took it off, expecting my devilish husband to attack the newly exposed flesh, but instead he did something that brought tears to my eyes. Staying behind me he started with my head and slowly worked down, massaging every muscle in my body. Taking his time with my back, he finally moved to my arms and lastly my legs. His hands on my body were heaven and between the sweetness of the gesture and all the tension he was releasing from my body, the tears came out. A look of concern crossed his face for a moment before I mouthed 'I love you' and he sighed, continuing his work. When he reached my left calf, he got an ace bandage out of the basket and expertly wrapped my foot. Moving back beside me, he opened the basket and got out a bottle of wine. I held the glasses as he poured and we were soon snacking on cheese and bread from the market as well as some of the fruit we had picked up yesterday, loving how fresh everything was here.

All the while Edward took photos, some of the water, or the villa, and of course plenty of me. Taking the camera from him I took a few photos of him, wanting to remember how he looked tonight for the rest of my life. Once the camera was stowed away Edward and I lay there in each other's arms. Touches turned to caresses, which became kisses and soon we were making love on our beautiful private beach under the light of the moon. Careful as always, Edward protected my ankle as we found our release. Not wasting much time with the breeze off the water, we dressed and Edward packed up before hoisting me onto his back and walking back up to the villa. Once we arrived we changed and Edward turned on his computer, refusing to check his email, or let me do the same, but instead opened up a computer game that we could play together to pass the time until the sunrise.

~V~V~V~

Today was December 21st, our final full day at Mustique. Edward and I would be leaving tomorrow afternoon to start our grueling day of flights back. Edward had made some grand plans and I was eyeing my garment bag out of the corner of my eye, so excited for Edward to see me in the dress Alice had chosen for our fancy dinner the last night of our trip. We will have spent 12 days here, and after tomorrow this place will be a beautiful memory. Always slightly anal about leaving something behind I pulled out me checklist and made sure I knew where everything was, including all the gifts I had purchased. Edward was already packed with the exception of the clothes he would need and his toiletries, I envied how easy he had it sometimes. I spent the morning packing and with my ankle feeling much better, I decided to pull out a pair of heels that would allow me to walk and display my outfit perfectly, because as much as I wanted this night to be perfect for myself, I wanted it more for Edward, so he would have these memories to hold dear when we were old and grey. We spent the afternoon lounging by the pool, soaking in the last bits of sun before we returned to what was probably a snowy Seattle. I had managed to tan beautifully on this trip and was excited to return home with evidence that I had seen the sun.

Lunch was delivered by Amun around 12:30 and we sat back to enjoy the meal. The unique flavors of the island were another thing I would miss and as I rested against Edward's side in one of the loungers I mused about my favorite parts of the trip. "We have to come back her for our 5th anniversary or something, I don't want this to be the last time I ever see this place."

Edward's arms squeezed me tightly and he smiled against my temple. "That sounds like an amazing idea; maybe we could use it as a getaway from the kids, unless you'd want to bring them?"

I stiffened slightly as he brought up our children. I knew with Leah agreeing to be our surrogate next year we would be getting our shot, but I also knew what our chances were and although I was hopeful for the first time since my cancer, I wasn't willing to get my hopes up too high. "Bella?"

I looked up at him and he saw the sadness in my eyes. "I know we're going to be trying, but I just don't want you to get your hopes up. I'd hate to see you get your heart broken if it didn't happen."

Edward cupped my face in his hands and kissed me softly. "Bella, we're going to have kids someday. Sure, I'd love for them to be our biological children, but I would love any child we bring into our lives because they would be ours."

I pulled myself up his body and kissed him deeper than before, overwhelmed for the millionth time this vacation by how amazing Edward was and how much I loved him.

Around 3pm we finally pulled ourselves from the chair and went to our separate bathrooms to get ready. Jumping in the shower, I was soon setting my hair in curlers and slipping into my underwear. Doing my makeup and piling my hair into a loose up do, I put on my heels and dress. Walking out into the living room, Edward was looking out over the water. He was wearing tan trousers and a button up shirt. He looked up and smiled that breathtaking smile at me.

**EPOV**

Bella looked phenomenal. Her hair was up off her face and neck and she was wearing a pink dress with a chocolate brown overlay with jeweled flowers over it. "Bella, you look exquisite." I managed to say through the emotion as I walked over to her and kissed her sweetly before leading her out into our waiting cart. We road to The Cotton House where a spectacular dinner awaited us. Carrying my camera in, I handed it off to one of the employees to take a photo of us before we were seated. We enjoyed our view of the sunset as we ate a delicious fish dinner. Holding her hand the entire meal, we sat in companionable silence, I looked more at her than the view the restaurant offered us.

Music began to play and I pulled Bella to her feet and led her to the empty space in the restaurant to dance with my beautiful bride. When the instrumental music that was playing morphed into our song she started to cry, knowing I had arranged for it to happen. We danced for a few more minutes before sitting down to enjoy our dessert. With dinner behind us, we headed back to our villa for one more night alone together before the world invaded our blissful existence. Carrying her over the threshold of the villa for the last time, we went to the verandah and looked out over the ocean. The look on Bella's face was slightly mischievous as she silently stared at the water. "What are you thinking about?"

"The last time you stood behind me on this balcony, of course we were considerably less formally dressed than we are now. And also the time in the pool, and on the lounge chair, and the couch, and down on the beach, and-"

I cut off her recounting all the places we had made love with a passionate kiss, bringing her back to the bed to continue where her memories had left off.

~V~V~V~

I woke up with the first bit of movement, although I didn't startle awake like I had the first time. I opened my eyes to see the shift in the blankets a second before I felt her mouth envelop me. I hissed at the sensation, but relaxed as she went to work. Throwing the comforter down onto the floor so I could see her, I was still in awe of my beautiful Bella. It was as if something had changed after the ceremony and the woman I loved, who had always been an amazing lover, had let go of her fears and allowed her the freedom to be with me in adventurous and sometimes quite public ways. When I had very diplomatically asked her about the change she told me that we had promised each other forever, so she wasn't afraid to try things she hadn't before because after the commitment of marriage, it seemed like a silly thing to be shy about. And she certainly wasn't being shy now. Alternating between using her teeth and tongue she was quickly pushing me towards my release. Humming in contentment as she continued to work, I growled at the sensation that it caused. Bella gripped my thighs, sensing how close I was and sped up, reaching down to tickle my inner thigh in the seconds before my orgasm. Looking down at my wife as she slowly climbed up my body, I was sad that we would be leaving this place today, but thrilled that we would be starting our new life together.

I looked over to the clock and saw that it was 7:30. We had four and a half hours until we had to check out and five and a half until our flight to Barbados. Bella and I got up and showered together, something we would definitely be continuing when we got home, and then started packing. I was mostly done so after throwing in my last things I moved the bags to the hall by the dining room and then moved the bags Bella had deemed as ready before searching the villa high and low for anything we were leaving behind while Bella finished up her last suitcase and finally relaxed, I'm sure the idea of four flights was starting to wear on her.

Right around that time, Amun brought our breakfast and said his goodbye to us, wishing us a safe trip home. We ate in the dining room before going out on the balcony to sway in the hammock for a while, just absorbing our last hours together in paradise. When it was time to go check out, we were met by a young man who packed our luggage into a jeep and drove us to check out of the villa before taking off for the airport.

We managed to have Arthur and Bert, whether it was a coincidence or not, so Bella relaxed as we boarded the plane and prepared to take off. Bella held on tight the entire flight and when it came time to land I kissed her with everything I had, distracting her until it was time to enter the airport. We had more to carry as we knew the weather would be cold back home, so as our luggage was loaded up and brought to the ticket counter in Barbados, we looked like we were coming back from months on the road instead of 12 days the Caribbean. Once we were checked in and our luggage was ready, we headed to security. We were cutting it close, but in the end we arrived as they started boarding our plane.

In the air, Bella occupied herself by reading the newest book in her vampire series, which had been released just before we left, but had never made it out of the duty-free bag it originally came in. Pouring through it, I started to think about her reaction to my book, the one she had been such an integral part of, suddenly nervous about whether she would like it or not. The book would be back from the printers in late January, and as soon as I had a copy I would be giving it to her, because her opinion mattered the most to me. My attention returned to Bella as she squirmed in the seat next to me, originally I was worried she was getting worked up about the flight, but when I looked closer and saw the way she was biting her lip I chuckled softly, knowing that look all too well. My Bella was turned on by whatever it was she was reading. "What did he do now?" I asked coyly and she shot me a look.

"It wasn't him, it was Alicia…and don't worry, I'll show you later."

Soon enough we landed in Miami and headed off to grab dinner before going to the gate. Sitting there for over an hour, Bella and I started talking about what the New Year was going to bring. Of course that included press tour that was now locked in at 24 days, with Bella coming to see me in Chicago and Boston, but opting out of joining me in New York, because we would be seeing that together soon enough.

The flight to Dallas was filled with screaming babies and there wasn't much solace outside of our I-Pods, so Bella and I tuned out the world around us, our fingers intertwined as the flight dragged on.

Landing in Dallas, we got our first shot of bad news. Between weather in Seattle and a storm in the flight path, our flight was delayed, but not cancelled. So we would be spending the night in the airport and hoping to get home in time for Christmas, because let's face it, if they cancel this flight we may be renting a car to get home.

Trying to get comfortable, Bella finally took our carry-ons and stowed them against a pillar, with only one of my bags on my side and sat down on the floor. Snuggling in next to her, we sat on my coat, and I wrapped hers around her front like a blanket and then pulled her into my side. Thankfully she slept through most of the three hours from the time they announced our flight was delayed at 11:45, until they announced its take off would be at 4am. I let her sleep as I called to try and make arrangements for a car to get us when we got back, having already cancelled the original one, but as I'd been told earlier, they were booked solid and there were no drivers available.

Not wanting to rent a car, if any were available when we landed, I texted my dad to ask if he could pick us up around 10am when our flight would get in. It was just after 2am in Seattle, so when I got his response just a few minutes later, I was immediately uneasy. My dad would normally be asleep right now, so why was he up with his phone nearby. My mind started to race as Bella stirred beside me. "Edward what's wrong?"

She was worried too, only she didn't know why she had reason to be. "I texted my dad to ask if he could pick us up, our flight takes off in just over a half hour by the way, and he answered right away. He shouldn't be up this early, and he shouldn't have answered that quickly, something bad has to be have happened."

Bella sat up straight and placed her hand on my cheek, turning my face towards hers. "Or maybe something amazing happened. What if Alice had the baby? He could be up because he's at the hospital visiting his granddaughter and his phone was on because he knew we'd be getting home. Our flight would have been landing around 6am if it hadn't been delayed, he was probably waiting for us to call to say we landed safely to tell us to go and meet our niece." Bella seemed so sure that it wasn't something bad and I desperately wanted to believe her, but I couldn't hold onto that for long.

They announced that our flight was _finally_ boarding and Bella and I stood up stiffly and walked over to the line. Taking our seats, I sat by the window as Bella settled in next to me, moving the armrest out of her way as she forced me to face her. "Edward, whatever happened, if something did happen, we'll face it together. I'm here baby, whatever you need."

I pulled her close and tucked her into my side. "I need you right here. I need to feel you with me. Whatever's going on at home, I'll be able to get through it as long as I have that."

So that's what she did. For the entirety of the flight Bella just held me, telling me how much she loved me, and how special her life was now that I was in it. I loved my wife intensely, but the gratitude I felt for her was unreal. She was the only one who could ease the worry I was feeling.

When the plane landed we got off and quickly went to baggage claim. As the last of our bags came off the conveyer belt I heard his voice. "Edward?"

My head spun around and I saw my father, exhausted and looking as though he'd aged five years in the last two weeks. "Dad?" I ran to him before stopping and going back to Bella, grabbing the heaviest of our bags and putting them on a rental cart. Once we were loaded up he reached out and hugged me.

"Alice had the baby." The tone in his voice was off; he didn't sound excited or anything else a new grandpa should.

"Dad please?"

He looked up at me and then looked at Bella hugging her close. "Danica's fine, they're both fine now."

"Now?" Bella asked from her place inside my father's arms.

"Why don't we get to the car?" We headed out through the sea of people and into the parking structure, loading the bags into the back of my mom's SUV before my dad turned to face us where we were huddled together in the back seat. "Alice went into labor on the 21st. She had a rough delivery and near the end there were some complications." He stopped for a minute to compose himself while my mind swam through all the possibilities I could think of. "She was losing a lot of blood, and they couldn't get a handle on it. The baby was fine, but they had to take Alice into surgery to repair the damage. It was a minor procedure really, and she should be home for Christmas, but it was really bad for a little while. I've never seen Jasper look that lost."

Bella reached out and took my father's hand. "I'm so sorry Carlisle, that must have been so terrifying for you. Can we see her? I don't think Edward will breathe again until he can see she's okay for himself."

"If you want to go there first, visiting hours just began, so I can take you now." Bella nodded as she held my head against her chest, taking care of me as my mind went to thoughts of my baby sister in the hospital. How did everything change so quickly?

When we arrived, Rose and Emmett were in the waiting room. "Edward, Bella!" Emmett yelled as we rounded the corner. Emmett pulled us both into a hug and then looked back. "Mom's up in the nursery and Jasper's in there with Alice now. She's been asking for you since she woke up this morning."

Bella took my hand and knocked on the door before she slowly pulled it open. "Bella…Edward, you're home." Alice's tired and subdued voice almost killed me; I'd never heard her sound so weak. I lost my hold on my emotions as I ran to her bedside and sat carefully on the edge, resting my forehead on hers as the tears began.

"Ali, don't you ever do that to me again, okay. From the moment I texted dad to tell him that our flight was delayed I knew something was wrong…" I felt Bella behind me as she ran her hands up my back and squeezed my shoulders. "If it weren't for Bella telling me that you'd both be fine and keeping me sane, I don't know how I would have made it back in one piece. I need you, we all do. You're one of the few people who can call me on my shit." We all laughed at that. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, they have me on a lot of medication. And I can't come over for Christmas because I'm still on bed rest until I've healed some."

"Still?" Bella asked as she stepped beside me to kiss Alice's forehead.

"She's been on bed rest since the day after your wedding. The last week of her pregnancy was rough." Jasper answered from his spot on the other side of her bed.

"How's my goddaughter?"

"She's perfect." Alice's face lit up and I was so glad to see her usual spark return.

A minute later my mom and the nurse arrived with the baby and Alice insisted that I be the first to hold her because I was her uncle and I hadn't even seen her yet. Taking a seat, the nurse placed Danica Arabella Whitlock in my arms and I smiled down at the tiny miracle I was holding. After a few minutes, I passed her to Bella and as she sat down I marveled at the woman who had held me together when I thought my world was falling apart. "My two Bella's, I don't think this moment could get any better."


	7. Bella Notte

**EPOV**

After the scare that was coming home to find Alice in the hospital, I had a very rough night's sleep. I tossed and turned all night, and the next morning I felt awful. But Bella didn't grumble or get annoyed with me; instead she was in our bedroom a few minutes after I woke up with breakfast in bed. "I thought that if you couldn't sleep, then you should at least have something good in your stomach." She smiled warmly at me and I noticed that left cheek was a little red, almost as if she'd banged into something.

"Did you trip love; it looks like you've got a little bruise forming?"

I gestured to her cheek and she blushed before cutting her eyes to the floor. "Yeah…I banged into something."

The way she said it made me think that there was more to it, as it was, Bella was a horrible liar. "What'd you bang it on?"

She looked up at me. "Promise not to freak out?" I nodded and she took a breath. "I'm pretty sure it was your hand, I don't think I was close enough for it to have been your elbow."

My jaw dropped. "I hit you! Oh god, baby I'm _so_ sorry."

Bella put her hands on my chest and kept me from taking out the tray of food straddling my lap. "Edward you were tossing in you sleep and you clipped me, it's nothing, and it won't even bruise. Trust me, I should know." Bella got up to pick out some clothes so we could head over to see Alice this morning and I noticed her favoring her ankle.

"Will you let my dad look at that?"

"Edward, I just have to rest it, which means you can do all the heavy lifting tomorrow." She winked as she went into the bathroom to take her shower. I ate quickly and then threw on my clothing.

When we got to the hospital Jasper was standing around holding a thoroughly bundled up Danica in his arms. "Hey Jazz, what's up?"

The smile on his face was unmistakable. "I'm springing my girls! And thank God because our place was too quiet."

The door opened and the nurse began to push Alice before I insisted on taking over. We walked to the elevator and as soon as the doors closed Alice started. "So, which part of the clothes line was Edward's favorite?" I didn't know what clothes line Alice was talking about, but I knew better than to think any good could come from the conversation.

"Alice!" Bella turned crimson and my suspicions were confirmed.

"Bella I almost died. And as it is I'm going to be going without for a while, help a sister out."

Bella mumbled something that sounded like 'not cool' before she turned to Alice. "The hot pink set Rose got with the black bow on the back."

I was in hell! I was trapped in an elevator, while my wife talked about my honeymoon with my little sister. "Damn, I thought her would have preferred the navy one with the ruffles."

"Can we not have this conversation?" Alice looked up at me and took my hand.

"Sorry Ed, but mom, Rose and I put a lot of thought into what outfits to buy Bella for your honeymoon, you can't cheat us now."

I shook my head and then mercifully the doors opened and I pushed Alice to the car before helping her out and returning the wheelchair inside as Bella brought the car around. Following Alice and Jasper home we stayed a little while before leaving to let Alice get some rest. I was sad that she wouldn't be coming over for Christmas, but between her and the baby with all the other kids there, it was understandable.

When Bella and I got home it was around 1:45, so we sat on the couch and talked about our plans for the evening. Leah was coming over with Eli so we could do Christmas with them tonight before Leah and Eli made the trip to visit her family in California the day after Christmas. With Eli set to ship out sometime in late January, they were spending as much time together as possible. Around 2:30 Bella jumped up and started our dinner, using the recipe reader that she had gotten for her birthday yet again.

There was a knock on the door and Leah hugged me tight as she came inside before running to see Bella. "Merry Christmas Eve, man." Eli shook my hand as I welcomed him into the living room.

Soon Bella was bringing in one of her famous chicken dinners and everyone was devouring it. Bella crafted beautiful meals the way I wrote intricate plots; only in the end her creation was far more satisfying. After dinner we went back to the couch where Leah and Bella clapped as they busted out some gifts for each other and Eli and I sat back and watched. Bella handed Leah a small box and smiled brightly as Leah opened it and gasped. Inside was a bracelet made of two chains, one white gold and a yellow gold that started out separate and then twisted together and became one. Leah took it out of the box and clasped it in place as Bella looked on smiling. "The bracelet is meant to represent us, because as much as we are our own separate people, life has done things that has bound us together forever, and with everything you're planning on doing for us, I wanted to thank you with something special."

The two of them hugged again as I pulled out my present for Leah, a leather-bound copy of the complete works of William Shakespeare. She laughed and hugged me as well before we turned to Eli, giving him his present, a digital voice recorder, that way he could send Leah audio files when he couldn't call her from overseas and a thermal blanket for the cold desert nights. I honestly felt sorry to know he was going back over there, I knew I didn't have the courage it took for him to do his job and the more I got to know him, the more I liked him. Eli got us a case of our favorite wine, which we were just recently out of, even remembering Bella's story about it from Thanksgiving.

Leah reached into her purse and handed Bella an envelope. Bella and I looked at each other before she opened it and gasped. "Baby, what is it?"

Bella was already crying as she handed it to me. "Leah went to the Women's Health Center while we were away to have her preliminary check-ups and her doctors gave her the okay to be our surrogate."

I hugged Bella closely, kissing her before jumping off the couch and scooping Leah up and twirling her around. "Thank you Leah, that's the best Christmas gift you could have given us!"

Leah laughed as I put her back on the ground so she could rejoin Eli. "I wanted this to work so badly, I'm just glad that everything came back okay. In there is a bunch of information on procedure from the clinic so you can get everything started and we can do this around February." Eli wrapped his arms around Leah's waist as we settled in to watch Rudolph and Herbie visit the Island of Misfit Toys.

When it was time to go, Leah hung back to let me know that she'd drop off Bella's other present from me tomorrow, so that way I could surprise her in the morning. Bella and I cleaned up everything and got the gifts packed up for tomorrow before going to bed early.

~V~V~V~

I woke up at 6:30, anxious to see Bella's reaction to my gifts, so when I rolled over and found her side of the bed empty I was a little jarred, until I heard the water in the bathroom. Walking into the steamy room, I peeled off my clothes and climbed into the shower behind Bella. "Merry Christmas Love." I cooed in her ear and she sighed and pressed her back against my chest.

"Merry Christmas Edward." I tilted her chin up and claimed her lips under the warm spray of the shower. Kissing her as our hands explored each other, Bella pulled back and grabbed her shampoo. "We better get to showering if we're making it to your parents today."

Getting out of the shower about ten minutes later, Bella headed to make breakfast a moment before my phone chimed. I went to the front door after reading the text from Leah. Opening the door for her, she handed me the box and smiled. "You better have her open it quick or it'll ruin the surprise."

I laughed, thanking her again before closing the door and sitting the present under the tree. I walked into the kitchen and Bella was just plating her vanilla French toast, which were still my favorite since she first cooked them for me a year ago. "Bella, that smells delicious." I leaned in, kissing the crook of her neck as she exhaled loudly and leaned into my chest.

"Edward please, I have a present for you, but if you don't behave yourself then you won't get it." She winked and I stood up straight, taking our drinks into the living room where we ate our breakfast at the coffee table as we sat in front of the tree.

As we ate Bella eyed the tree, and I could see there was something more to the look so I leaned in and stroked her knee. "Penny for your thoughts love?"

Bella turned to me and smiled, her eyes glassy. "I was just thinking about how this is our first Christmas as a family, and with any luck, next year we could have a new addition to celebrate. My mom would be over the moon right now."

I moved forward and claimed her mouth before eyeing the packages under the tree. "Why don't you start with that little box right there?" I pointed to the package sitting above the gift Leah had just dropped off.

Bella opened it and smiled brightly as she took out the small frame with one of the pictures from our wedding tucked into it. The inscription read, "Our First Christmas."

"Edward, it's beautiful! I'm going to hang it on the tree right now." She stood up and placed the ornament right in the center of the tree. Sitting back down I gestured to the big surprise, unable to wait any longer. She pulled the box to her and her hand slid across a hole in the box. "Edward?"

Pulling off the top, a chocolate brown cocker spaniel puppy popped out, staring up with a set of brown eyes that could melt your heart just like Bella's. "Merry Christmas baby, I'd like you to meet Lady."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she clutched the tiny puppy to her chest. "You named her Lady? How'd you know I always wanted to get a cocker spaniel like her?"

"I didn't, but I knew you always wanted a dog and it's one of your favorite movies, so I thought it would be perfect."

She hugged me again and I handed her the next gift as she shifted the puppy to her lap so she could continue opening presents. She had three more gifts and I was anxious to see her reactions. She opened her white trench coat and smiled as she modeled it with only her pajamas underneath, putting all sorts of naughty thoughts in my head. Next she opened her Kindle, squealing about how she didn't have to worry about carrying heavy books around anymore. I laughed as she picked up the small box and tsked me for spending too much on her.

"Edward, you didn't have to go through all this money, all I needed was to spend the day with you." She smirked motioning to the box she assumed was jewelry.

"I kept my promise; I didn't spend more than $1000 on you. Although I think it's a ridiculous limit." I put the box into her hands and she opened it, dropping the box as soon as she saw the contents.

"Why are you giving me your super exclusive, because you have more money than God, just the sight of it will have a line of people willing to wipe your ass, Black Visa?"

I lost it at her characterization, but held the box up for her again. "It isn't my card, it's _yours_. Look at the name."

"Edward…"

"Bella, I want to know that you'll always be safe, that if something happens you'll be able to get out of it, and sometimes money is the only thing that will make people listen. I know you're not going to run out and blow $1,000,000 because you can, my money has never been important to you, but you're my wife now and I want you to have it."

Her eyes glassed over as she leaned forward kissing me passionately. "I love you," she whispered against my lips before Lady began to whimper and Bella laughed. "I'm sorry Lady, are we ignoring you?"

I smiled as Bella played with the puppy, watching her maternal instinct take over immediately. Looking up, Bella reached under the tree and pulled out two packages, handing me the smaller one first. Ripping off the paper, I gawked down as my inner nerd lost his shit. "Bella, this is a mini replica of Anduril, the reforged version of Narsil, the sword of the kings."

Bella chucked as she shook her head. "I know, I read the description. I only know it as the sword Viggo Mortensen used in the movie, but I know you love Tolkien so I thought I'd get you the letter opener instead of a full replica of the sword."

"You've never read _The Lord of the Rings_? That's it; I'm getting it for your Kindle. Thank you baby."

Bella kissed my cheek and then tapped the other package, which I unwrapped and then opened the lid of the box. Inside were four old books and as I lifted up the first one and opened the cover and saw the numbers of the run right under the copyright information on the title page, she spoke. "Do you like it?"

My eyes darted up to meet Bella's worried expression. "Bella, this is a first edition of _The Hobbit_."

Bella nodded, still unsure of my reaction. "They're all first editions, I tried to get the one that came after _The Lord of the Rings_, but I couldn't find it."

"Bella, I love it, but this must have cost a fortune?"

Tears finally escaped her eyes again as she stroked my face. "It's nice to get to spoil you for a change, and besides, you're worth it."

Helping Bella up, we gathered our gifts and brought them into the bedroom before Bella padded off into the bathroom.

**BPOV**

Christmas morning with Edward was amazing, and as I sat in the bathroom straight ironing my hair with a puddle of brown fur at my feet, I smiled at how wonderful Edward is and how well he knows me. Finishing my hair, I quickly did my makeup and then put on my green sweater dress and black leggings, finally slipping on my ankle boots.

Emerging from the bathroom, Edward had his back to me as he slipped on his brown blazer. As he turned I caught a glimpse of his cream shirt and couldn't help the smile that graced my face. "Wow baby, you look beautiful. That dress does wonderful things for your curves."

"Behave handsome; we have children to surprise and family to see."

Edward's face fell slightly and I wrapped my arms around his waist. "I wish Alice could be there…it won't be the same without her."

Squeezing his midsection, he kissed the top of my head and then pushed the hair out of my face and motioned towards Lady. "Are we taking her?"

"Unless you want a bunch of little presents to take care of when we get home I think we better."

I laughed as I scooped up Lady and then grabbed my coat as Edward helped me on with it and then passed me my purse before heading to the door.

We drove slowly towards the Cullen house as the lights from the neighborhood shone in the new snow that coated the streets. Edward was extra careful in his driving and soon enough we were pulling up to the house where seven children stood bundled up on the front porch. Edward opened my door and led me up to where the kids ambushed me, careful not to squish the dog. After my hug they all fawned over Lady, who they all knew about. "What am I, chopped liver?" Edward asked as his nieces and nephews laughed and practically tackled him where he stood.

Ushering them in, we brought in our gifts and Esme had a playpen lined with wee-wee pads set up in the living room all ready for my girl.

Merry Christmases were wished as everyone hugged and sat in the living room. As we were about to open gifts, there was a knock on the door. Carlisle went to answer it, and soon rejoined us with Jasper loaded up with presents and his computer. Opening it up, he signed into Skype and Alice's face soon filled the screen.

"Jasper, can you hear me?" Alice asked from her bed at their apartment.

"Yes Alice, how about you?" She nodded and then Jasper stepped away from the screen. "Alice didn't want to miss Christmas, so she made me come down here so you could open our gifts and you could see her open hers."

We all laughed at Alice's lack of patience, but understood as the pixie sized hole in the family was clearly felt with her home. So we set out to open our presents from Alice. Once again, Alice bought me a mountain of clothes, arguing that I had some nice base pieces, but I needed a little more flair in my wardrobe. The clothes were lovely; even if there were a few that I had no idea how to put on. Edward opened his gift and smiled brightly.

"Alice, Jasper, this is so cool!"

"We know that you've been thinking about expanding and maybe co-writing the screenplay for the next movie based on your book, so we thought getting you a few books on screenwriting and the newest edition of Final Draft would help out. It's been a long time since those screenwriting classes."

Edward shook his head and thanked Alice again. "You're thinking of writing the screenplay for your book?" Edward hadn't said anything about it to me, and I felt slightly out of the loop.

"The head of the studio mentioned it in passing, but I won't know anything until the movie comes out and they decide to green light another one. If this movie tanks then there won't be a need."

"Edward, if they were even remotely faithful to the book then it will be a huge success. That book was amazing." Edward kissed me as his hand ran over my knee.

Alice tore through the paper on her gifts and beamed at all the new mommy gifts that she had been given. Soon Jasper was packing up his laptop and wishing us all a Merry Christmas.

Now that the gifts had started to be opened, the kids followed Alice's example and shredded the paper. Running off to play with their toys, it was soon our turn. Emmett and Rosalie handed us our gifts first and as I opened the card I gasped, staring down at a set of tickets to the upcoming season of Ballet, continuing the gift from my birthday, which was coming up soon. Edward geeked out again over the GPS for his car and the mini-generator that would turn their campground into the only one that could not only pick up satellite TV but could also get internet access. I had never been camping, but I thought the point was to commune with nature, not watch the game in the woods.

Irina, Laurent and their kids were next, interrupting the toygasm to watch us open our gifts. Irina and Laurent gave me a Gift Certificate for two tickets to two Broadway shows for our trip to New York, telling me what she had heard about the current shows that were running, while the kids got me a carrier and dog toys and supplies for Lady. At least I knew how they had known the puppy was coming. Edward opened a ton of camping gear that replaced what was now well worn gear that the boys had thrown out after their last camping trip a little over a year ago. Now that they had everything they needed, Emmett vowed that camping would be on the agenda for the spring and summer.

Angela, Ben and Carmen stood holding two matching packages as they handed one to me and the other to Edward. As we opened it, Edward and I laughed because we were both holding the new Blackberry Tour along with a service contract. "We had the guy set up the plan with your old numbers, and everything is paid for, you just have to activate the phones and go to have the data transferred, but besides that, you two have a family plan now."

Edward shook his head, a smile adorning his face. "Only you could walk into a store and change someone's plan without them being present and not have a problem."

"Hey, the guy remembered me from when we looked into it, plus having Rosie with me always helps."

"So we're officially on each other's plan?" I asked and Emmett nodded.

"And those phones are great, I love mine." Rosalie added as I hugged the kids and thanked them for their present.

Finally, it was Carlisle and Esme's turn for the big reveal. Carlisle made Edward close his eyes, as his gift was too big to wrap, but when Edward saw the set of golf clubs he freaked. In the time Edward and I had been together, I knew that he liked golf, and used to camp a lot, but life had been so hectic this year that he hadn't got the chance to really enjoy it, so I was glad that he got these gifts this year. Esme sat next to me as she placed the large package on my lap. I ripped off the wrapping paper and as soon as I saw the brand name I stared at the box, and it wasn't even open yet. "You guys bought me a computer?"

Esme and Carlisle nodded and I opened the box and turned it on, as per their instructions. When the screen powered on I saw the computer was fully loaded with professional software that would make my job so much easier, not to mention I could work from home now that I had these programs on both my desktop at work and my personal computer. But more prominent than that was the desktop, a photo of Edward and I from our wedding, snapped most likely by Esme, as Edward and I danced. Tears welled up in my eyes as I mouthed 'thank you' before hugging my in-laws tightly.

Edward packed up our gifts so we could make a quicker getaway later without leaving anything, as Lady's presence was requested in the den. I sat on the floor with the kids as we watched _A Garfield Christmas_ to pass the last bit of time before dinner. Edward eventually joined us, leaning in the doorway as Angela held Lady from her perch in my lap. Of all the nieces and nephews, Angela with her quiet way and shyness despite being Emmett's daughter, was my favorite. I saw a lot of me in her and I held that little one dear.

Dinner was delicious as always, but soon it was time to go home. Edward packed the car and then came to help me to the car, not trusting my ankle on the ice. Sitting in the driveway, Edward paused for a moment before looking over to meet my waiting eyes. "Last year I promised you that you would have these big family Christmases…that you deserved this type of happiness and I would make sure you got it. Seeing you in there today, it made me proud because I was able to keep that promise."

I reached over and ran my hand across his cheek. "Edward, you've given me the world, and for the first time I didn't feel sorry that I was missing Christmas with my parents, I felt like they were watching over us, joining your family's celebration."

Edward kissed me again and I leaned over the console to deepen the kiss. Driving back, we slowly made our way home and then began unloading our gifts. I was busy in my closet while Edward went to his storage space to put the camping gear and golf clubs away until the spring. When Edward returned, I was setting up the puppy's bed in Edward's office while he went to get ready for bed. Having just activated my phone, I ran to the guest bedroom and changed into my pajamas before texting Edward.

**EPOV**

I heard my phone ping from the bathroom. Walking out, I picked it up off my nightstand and saw the text was from Bella.

_Come into the living room you still have a present under the tree._

Shaking my head, I walked out to see what she had gotten me. I wasn't prepared for the sight before me. Bella was laying out on her side in a tight red corset and thong. Her hair was fanned out behind her head as she rolled onto her back right next to the tree. "Santa told me that you were a very good boy this year." She purred her comment to me and I was instantly hard. My wife…the closeted sex kitten.

I got down on all fours and kissed my way up the fabric and then up her flesh to her mouth. Taking her bottom lip between mine, I lavished attention on her before she giggled at the sensations my fingers were causing as they danced across her skin. Moving south, I placed open-mouthed kisses down her neck and the center of her upper chest until I reached the corset. Pushing up the flesh from the bottom of the cups, her breasts spilled over the top and as soon as her nipple was revealed to me I attacked it, with Bella now writhing under me, pushing up into my cock and spurring me on even more. After I moved to the other nipple my hand replaced my mouth on the first as Bella wrapped her legs around my waist.

Grinding into her, I slowly unfastened the first of many tiny closures on the front of the corset, kissing each inch of skin I revealed. Finally freeing her from the constricting outfit, I slipped off of her and pulled down her panties and dropped my own pants, settling between her legs to enter her. Looking into her eyes, I kissed her reverently and then thrust forward as I felt the connection to her at every point of our body. Her limbs wrapped tightly around me, holding me close as I rocked into my Bella as we celebrated the most precious gift this year had brought us, each other.

~V~V~V~

The next week was hectic as Bella prepared for New Years at the bar. She let herself get too worked up and I found myself constantly trying to get her to simply breathe and enjoy a real meal. The morning of the 31st, Bella was up and out of bed before I even registered it. When she came home around lunch I already had the grilled cheese sandwiches ready to throw on the frying pan. She tried to tell me that I didn't have to make anything, but my reminder silenced her argument. "I'm not going to have another scare like that night in Portland. I know it seems silly to you, but that terrified me, and if a grilled cheese sandwich is all I have to do to keep that from happening again, then I'm going to make one for you."

"Sorry love, I know how you worry." She sat at the bar and watched as I made the sandwiches.

Bella and I spent the afternoon playing with Lady, trying to calm her down and for once it seemed to be working. For an eight week old puppy, she was very well behaved, except at night when her whining would reach its fever pitch.

Bella got in the shower around 7 and I waited for her to finish before I entered the bathroom myself. When I exited the bathroom Bella was sitting on the bed fussing with a curler that wouldn't stay put. Soon she was off to do her makeup before taking down her hair just to put it back up into an up do. Watching her work on her hair I was astounded by the lengths that women go through to go out, but Bella enjoyed getting to dress up and celebrate and I loved how breathtaking she always looked. Bella and I chatted about the bar and Emily's success in managing it while we were away and the hope that gave Bella that she could start to be less involved in the day to day and only take care of the scheduling and more advanced bookwork.

The numbers coming up from Portland were really pleasing Bella and Jake was really loving the responsibility of it all. Bella laughed as she saw my Adam's apple bob when she started lathering up her legs with lotion, but this was the first time I hadn't been banished from the inner sanctum while she was getting ready. "Babe, how come you're letting me hang out while you get ready tonight?" I asked from my spot leaning against the counter while Bella stayed seated at her vanity.

"Because, most of that involved Alice torturing me, or lecturing about the 'big reveal' but in all honesty you're my husband now, so if you want to sit there and watch me try to fight a losing battle with my frizzy hair, then I'd love to have here." Bella finally stood up and slipped on her sexy little black dress before motioning for me to help zip her up. After sliding on the blue flower ring I had given her along with the key pendant, Bella slipped on her shoes and grabbed her coat and purse.

We headed over to the bar, where everyone was decked out for the evening as they stocked the bar with extra booze and put a few extra money pouches by the register so Bella could run to the safe discreetly during the course of the night. It was Emily, Quil and Seth keeping the drunken masses happy with Bella there to work, not undermine Emily's role as manager as she took a back seat to Emily's instructions for the night and even Sam looked impressive at the door.

When the doors opened the place was filled up in record time and everyone went to work as I sat at the far end of the bar, right near the kitchen so I could watch my girl work.

It was around 11:15 when I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned to see a familiar face. "Jessica, hey, I haven't seen you in a while. Do you still work for Victoria?"

Jessica shook her head and smiled. "Yes, but I'm not her secretary anymore. I graduated in September and she promoted me to be a junior editor for the new romance division."

"Wow, congratulations!"

Bella was working her way back and I flagged her over. "Baby, get Jessica a Cosmo, she got promoted to the job she's wanted for years."

Bella mixed the drink and poured it, smiling at Jess. "Congrats!"

"You too, I remember putting the wedding on Victoria's calendar, but I can only recall that it was this month. You two are lucky, to find love like that."

A couple of Jessica's friends came over and dragged her out to dance while I shook my head and laughed. "She's a nice girl, always respected how I felt for you." I leaned in to kiss Bella and she laughed.

"Yeah, she's been coming here for a while and she's always smiling and asking how I am, even if it's only so I'll ask back and she can tell me about the latest idiot she's dating." Bella laughed again and went back to work.

The last 40 minutes went quickly and soon the TV's were turned up and the clamor of the crowd increased, if that was possible. Bella served a few more drinks and then made her way to me just as the countdown of the last minute of 2009 began. Spinning her in my arms so that we were standing nose to nose, I looked deeply into her eyes as the cheers became more crazed and they started the final countdown.

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…Happy New Year!"

As soon as the words were spoken our lips met as I held Bella close and tightened my grip on her as she snaked her fingers into my hair and kept us intertwined even after we broke the kiss. "Happy New Year Edward."

"Happy New Year Bella."


	8. Many Shades of Love

**BPOV**

To say that the beginning of the New Year was hectic for us was an understatement. Since then we sat down with our lawyers and began drafting up all the documents necessary for the surrogacy to happen. Leah and I went to see our OB/GYN and the fertility specialist that would help us go about the procedure with the fewest possibilities of complications. After meeting with a few, we finally found a woman who we both fell in love with, right before all the wedding craziness had hit at the beginning of December. She wasn't a part of the clinic, but was good friends with our doctor, so there were no fears of a pissing contest over the care of the baby, with both working especially hard to ensure we were both happy about the care Leah would receive.

The only time I balked was when the price of the procedures came up, but thankfully, Edward had been there to hold my hand and remind me that our child would be worth it.

It was already mid-January and with everything signed and taken care of, Leah and I were going back to the office to see if my eggs had been successfully fertilized. Eli and Edward were home waiting for word, ready to drive over to Leah's and meet us if the implantation could happen at this visit.

Sitting in the waiting room, Leah was cool as a cucumber; sure that everything was going to be fine. I however wasn't so sure. I had only just started having eggs harvested when the cancer was found, so I had only been able to have six eggs harvested, meaning that we only had three chances if we stayed with the plan of using two eggs to ensure a better chance of her getting pregnant.

When Leah's name was called I went into the office with her and was relieved by the news that we received. "Congratulations, the fertilization was a success and your hormone levels are exactly where they should be, so we're all set to implant you with the embryos."

I started crying and Leah took my hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "What did I tell you? Everything is going to work out."

An hour later, we were getting into the car on the way to Leah's apartment so she could rest, as the doctor ordered her to spend the next day or two in bed. The timing couldn't have been better as school was starting up next week and she would be able to go back to teaching, and if everything worked out, she'd only miss the first month or so of school and then could start back at work without having to go on extended leave at the start of the school year.

Leah called Eli and asked for him to bring home food from the bar; planning on taking full advantage of how excited Eli was that he got to be here for at least the very beginning of the procedure. Eli's acceptance of Leah's desire to do this for us was amazing, he was so jazzed by how close we were and how supported Leah would be while he was away, that we could have been asking her to do nearly anything and he still would have gone with the flow.

Arriving at her building, Leah settled in on the couch a few minutes before the boys came in. Eli went to Leah where she sat with her feet up, while Edward wrapped his arms around my waist. "How long until we know if it worked?"

"She goes for a pregnancy test in two weeks, and then we'll know. It's scheduled for two days before Eli leaves." I leaned into his chest and he hugged me tighter to him.

"Well, we're going to head out. If you two need anything, you just call." Leah and Eli smiled at us as we headed home.

Pulling into the building, Edward was lost in his own little world. "Edward? Were you planning on coming upstairs?"

He laughed and then turned to me. "I can't believe that we may be parents. Two weeks and we'll know if the treatment worked."

I took his hand and smiled at him. "I know, but even if we do find out, I don't want to tell people until Leah's in her second trimester."

His face fell slightly, but he nodded, understanding my hesitation. "Baby, when we have the answers, will you please let yourself be happy about this. I know you're worried but please, for me, try and enjoy this."

"I will. I'm sorry, I'm just so nervous. When everything is settled and we have our miracle it'll be different, but it's the not knowing that's killing me."

"Well then, there's something upstairs that might cheer you up." I looked at him confused, and he laughed. "Come on, there's a surprise for you that was sent over just before we left to meet you girls."

Heading up to our condo, I went into the apartment and Edward headed straight for his office. A minute later he appeared with a thick mailing envelope. "I want you to be the first to read it."

Looking from his face to the envelope and back again, my hands flew to my mouth. "The manuscript?"

He nodded and held it out for me. "Out of everyone who is going to read it, your opinion is the only one that matters."

I took it from him and ran into his arms. "Thank you, I'm going to curl up on the patio and enjoy the fresh air before it gets too cold."

Settling in with the large envelope, Edward brought me a cup of coffee before heading back into his office.

Opening to the title page, I stopped and smiled at the dedication under the title.

_To my love, Bella. You are the day to my night, and the heart beating in my chest. Thank you for your love and support and for being my muse in all things, but most especially, this book, the thing that brought us together._

I hadn't even begun reading _Wayward Muse,_ and already his words had me in tears. Turning the page I dove into the description of a world I'd never been to, but knew so well. The bar was a far cry from my own, but he'd learned enough about how one was run that he could really take liberty with it and make it hard to believe that a woman owned it, until Kalliope made her grand entrance, where she not only quieted the rowdy drunks but stole Gerard's heart.

As I powered through the book, I was struck by the change in the tone from Edward's previous books. It wasn't significant; they were still as gritty as they had been, but the love story that was buried under the surface was so refreshing and I couldn't wait to see the response to it.

I continued reading and was so absorbed in it that I didn't even notice Edward come outside until I jumped at his hand on my shoulder. "Baby, it's freezing out. Why don't you come in and get ready for dinner?"

"Dinner, shit. I'm sorry; I was going to make-"

"Bella, I think I can make some pasta without burning down the building." He winked and I blushed, darkening my chill colored cheeks as I stood up and stretched, looking over at the clock on the wall.

"It's 8:30?" I couldn't believe I had been sitting out here for six hours.

"You were that sucked into it?" He looked genuinely surprised, which astounded me.

"From word one." I gave him a quick peck before I set the manuscript down on the coffee table and went to wash up.

We ate dinner quietly and Edward barked a laugh as I flew back to his book the minute we finished eating. He offered to clean up so I could finish, taking Lady for a walk after the dishwasher was running.

A yelp from the bouncing puppy alerted me that they were back from their walk as I lifted my girl up onto the couch to cuddle with me and the soon to be bestseller I was flying through.

His plot twists constantly caught me off guard, and I was floored with where Edward had taken the story. I knew Edward was still in his office, taking his agents advice and starting a draft of the next novel the studio was interested in, so if the first movie did well he'd have a head start when it came to pitching himself as the screenwriter for the adaptation.

The tears were streaming down my cheeks by the time I finished the novel, completely in awe of my husband. I sat the manuscript down and rested for a minute before getting up to go to bed.

Edward's arms woke me up as he lifted me from where I passed out on the couch, having never made it to bed after reading the book. I changed in a daze and climbed in next to Edward, hugging him close to me. "Thank you."

He squeezed my shoulders before his lips found my hair. "For what?"

"Letting me be the first to read your masterpiece."

He laughed, shaking my frame before he remarked back. "You're exhausted, love. Tell me about what you liked tomorrow." I could tell he doubted himself, which only served to fuel the need to make sure he knew just how much I loved it.

I leaned up on my arms, looking down at him, making sure to hold his eyes. "No Edward, that was one of the best pieces of writing I've ever read. It's certainly my favorite of your novels. It had so much heart but still retained its edge. It has something for everyone. That book is going to make you a household name."

Edward's eyes twinkled at my words and I settled back into his chest, content that I had erased the doubt he had been harboring.

**EPOV**

She loved it. Not liked, not 'appreciated', which I always saw as a polite way of saying that you didn't like it. She loved it. My Bella was proud of it and me and couldn't wait to see what was going to come when it was released.

I had another meeting this week, firming up the travel plans, which had been extended a little. I would be doing a few television appearances right after the book release on the west coast and would be doing a signing here in Seattle on the release date. From there I'd be trekking the country doing book signings to drum up sales and then I'd be hitting the East Coast for some major events and some movie tie-in interviews in New York, which would be the ending point of the tour on April 24th.

Falling asleep quickly that night, I was awakened the next morning by Bella grinding her ass against my morning wood. Her whimpering was so damn sexy, so I tightened my grip on her waist only to have her slip her hand behind her back and over the bulge in my pants. She applied some pressure with her palm as she rasped to me. "If you don't put this to good use, Mr. Cullen, I'm going to take a nice, _long, hot_ bath in the whirlpool."

Flipping her onto her back, I straddled her left leg and pressed my hips into her thigh. "Don't you even think about taking this into the bathroom, unless you plan on showing me what you're going to be doing when we make one of our late night phone calls." I winked and she laughed, grabbing a hold of my hips.

"I'd rather surprise you." She smirked and then used those skilled feet of hers to push my clothing down my legs while I pulled off her nightgown and growled when I saw she had nothing on underneath.

"Fuck, Bella. If I had known what you weren't wearing underneath that-"

"I would have never gotten to sleep last night." She teased as her hand found my shaft and began pumping up and down, staring straight into my eyes.

"Bella." I reproached, and she responded by trying to wiggle out from under me. I caught her and she gasped as I hitched her leg over mine, giving me the perfect angle to enter her. "How about we finish this the way you started it." She laughed until it turned into a moan as I filled her, starting out slow and sweet as I kissed the back of her neck and played with her perfect breasts from behind.

I continued to move in harmony with her, when my cell phone rang. I ignored it, and urged Bella to do the same when hers rang a moment later. "What if it's important?"

"Then they'll call the house." And then the house phone rang.

It took a minute for the machine to get it, but that didn't help my cause. "Hello, did you guys forget that you were going to watch the baby this morning? I'd bring her over there if I could, but it is just too cold. I have those appointments starting in an hour, so if I'm going to call mom, because you two are _busy_, then I'll have to do it soon. So finish up and call me!"

Alice's voice finally went away, but the damage was done. "You call her back and I'll jump in the shower." Bella was out of bed as soon as I rolled onto my side, grabbing my phone and telling her we'd be there soon.

**BPOV**

Alice placed little Danica in my arms and I was instantly all smiles. Edward got us some breakfast from the kitchen and settled in with us on the couch. His fake attitude about being called three times in two minutes was nowhere in sight as soon as he was his niece. This little girl had the ability to melt away the worse moods with nothing more than her presence.

Alice left for her doctor's appointment, before heading to take care of some emergency at the boutique, leaving us with our niece for a few hours at least. Watching her curl her little hands into perfect fists as she rubbed the side of her head for a minute before drifting off, I marveled at her perfection.

"You're so good with her; I can't wait until it's our baby you're holding." Edward crooned into my neck, but I shifted to look at him.

"Please, Edward. Not until we know." He sighed, but nodded, kissing my forehead.

"All right love, I'll hold off for now."

Little D slept for about 25 minutes before she woke up and I sniffed her diaper, passing her off to Edward. "Wait a minute, you get to rock her to sleep and I have to change her…that hardly seems fair?"

"I didn't bring gloves. So unless you want my hands to break out, you'd better do it."

"Why would your hands break out?" Edward held the baby expertly as he moved to the changing table.

"I'm allergic to the stuff in the diapers that draws away the pee. My mom had to use cloth diapers on me."

Edward blanched at the mention of cloth diapers and then turned to face me. "Let's hope any kids we may have get my steel ass, because the thought of washing poopy diapers isn't even cute."

"You hire a diaper service. They do all that for you. But you're right, let's hope they don't get that from me."

Edward finished dressing Danica and I took her back into the living room to feed her a bottle that Alice had pumped just before we got there, as Edward didn't want to think about his sister that way, and then got her to go back down for another nap.

Danica was still asleep when Alice got home, so we stayed around for a bit before going back to get some work done ourselves.

**EPOV**

The next week or so were so busy that before we knew it, Leah was going for her blood test. Both Bella and I were nervous, but I couldn't shake the feeling that we were going to get good news.

Bella was wearing a trench in the rug, with Lady pacing obediently behind her, confused and from the looks of it, a little dizzy. When the phone rang, Bella pounced on it and talked with her back to me.

"Hey Leah, did you-"

There was silence, but not much in the way of a reaction.

"Okay, did they say anything else?"

Another moment of Leah talking on the other end and my heart fell. It hadn't worked.

"No, I understand, you spend the day with Eli and Edward and I will see you tomorrow. All right, bye honey."

Bella hung up the phone and turned to face me. "Baby, what's wrong?"

I looked up and tried to hold in the tears. "I tried to be sensible, but I was just so sure it had worked…and now…"

"Edward, it did work." I looked at Bella where she was kneeling in front of me.

"What?" I had to have heard her wrong.

"Leah's pregnant; we're going to have a baby." She whispered it as tears fell down her face.

"Oh, my God! We're pregnant! Holy crap, baby…fuck I love you." I kissed Bella, knocking her to the ground as Lady jumped on my back and tried to use her nose to pry us apart.

"Lady, go lay down," Bella cooed and the dog ran into the office where her bed was.

"Sure, she listens to you." Bella and I continued to make out on the living room floor until Emily called with a tax question that pulled Bella away and off to the bar so she could get the paperwork off to her accountant while I went back to start working on the actual script, now that I had figured out the step outline.

Being the screenwriter on this movie meant a lot to me, because if it happened then I wouldn't have the problems that came up last time pulling me away from my family.

~V~V~V~

With Eli deploying tomorrow morning, he had driven down a few hours after Leah found out she was pregnant, with us following with her today so that she could say good-bye right before he got on the plane and she wouldn't be alone once he left for the next twelve to fourteen months.

Leah was quiet the entire ride down, playing with her necklace as she looked around at the scenery. Bella kept turning back to look at her, worried for her friend, who never owned up to when something was bothering her she only spoke up if you hurt her friends, as I knew all too well.

Pulling into the hotel, we booked our adjoining rooms and went to have dinner with Eli at the base's mess hall. His hair had been shaved down into a short buzz cut, which Leah couldn't keep her hands off of. The food was better than I had thought it would be, but I was focusing on the small things to keep my mind off of what was really happening here.

Eli was sacrificing his future for our country on the hope that he'd finish his final tour unscathed, while Leah was putting her future on hold, hoping the man she loved would come home to her. And in the middle of that, she was giving Bella and me everything we had ever wanted. Their selflessness blew me away, but I couldn't mention that to either one of them right now, I'd just have to hope I'd get the chance to do it someday when all of this was behind us.

Eli's flight from the base took off at 7am, so we would be getting to the base at 6:30 to see him off, which meant we had an early morning ahead of us.

Getting back to the hotel, Leah went to bed, claiming to be tired. Bella and I snuggled together and she fell asleep soon, but I couldn't. I was already getting ideas for a new thriller, and I knew that Leah and Eli weren't the basis for these characters, but their sacrifice was, it was one that far too many people in our country were making, but it was how I was able to sit at home and cook up these crazy stories.

It was around this time that I heard the sobs coming from next door. Looking beside me, Bella was sound asleep, so I got up and walked to the slightly open door between our rooms and knocked. "Leah, can I come in?"

"Sure." I heard her shuffle around as I opened the door to see her sitting up in bed, her eyes puffy and her pillow wet.

"Leah." I sat next to her on the large bed and opened my arms, letting her settle against my chest as she began crying again. She wasn't crying uncontrollably, but it was definitely constant. "Hey, do you believe in having a sixth sense about things?"

Leah nodded against my chest as I rubbed circles on her back. "I guess so. Bella says you seem to have one."

I smiled at the fact that Bella mentioned it to her, she teased me about being a know it all, but she did think it was uncanny how well I could judge things like that. "Well, I do. And do you remember when I told you that we'd be dancing at your wedding? I still feel that way. I can imagine someone who is making the sacrifice you are for us not getting your happy ending. He loves you-"

"Not enough to marry me." Leah muttered and I gave her a squeeze.

"Or too much. Leah, he doesn't want to leave you with that kind of baggage if God forbid something were to happen. When he comes home and you two have a brood of kids, you can tell them about how their father made you wait to get married."

She laughed and settled down a little. "Thank you, Edward. I never dreamed that when Bella met you, that I'd be gaining a brother. That's how you feel, like my awesome, slightly nutty, brother-in-law, who I have to keep in line from time to time."

I laughed at her assessment and whispered back. "You do it as only you can."

I sat there for another twenty minutes or so until Leah finally fell asleep. I didn't hear the door open a little while later, but I did see the light as Bella walked into the room. "How's she doing?"

Bella slipped into the bed on my other side and kissed my bicep. "She's better. But tomorrow she's going to be a wreck. You'd better sit in the back with her on the way home. I don't know if it's the hormones or what, but she was sobbing earlier. I don't think I've ever seen her cry before."

Bella nodded and settled in next to me. "She doesn't cry often, but if she does something's really wrong. I don't know how she can do it, the thought of not seeing you for a year while you go off and risk your life-"

"You'd survive it somehow. But I'm entirely too selfish for that. As it is the six weeks I'm on tour may very well kill me."

Bella shook her head and then looked over at her friend. "She'll probably sleep through the night now, but we should go next door and try to get some sleep ourselves."

I shifted, getting out of bed without waking Leah and went next door with Bella, falling asleep almost immediately.

The next morning, we packed our things and checked out of the rooms before driving to the base. Bella and I stayed in the car so that Leah and Eli could have the time to themselves. At seven am sharp, we heard the plane take off, and a few minutes later, Leah climbed into the back seat with Bella. We drove home slowly, arriving back in Seattle around lunch and headed to Leah's apartment. When we pulled up, I turned to the back seat and smiled at Leah. "Our guest room is always free if you want to stay with us, Leah."

Leah nodded and reached for the door. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

After watching her get in the front door, Bella climbed in the front seat again as we headed home.

~V~V~V~

**BPOV**

The past few weeks since Eli was deployed were tough, but we managed to help Leah get back into her routine and being back at school helped a lot. Today was going to be tough though, because it was Valentine's Day and she was spending it alone. We had tried to convince her to come to dinner with us, but she told us that we were crazy and that she'd be fine.

I hadn't really had a Valentine's Day with Edward yet, since last year it had been when my dad had called, trying to work up the courage to talk to me, and scaring the hell out of me in the process. I knew Edward was taking me to the ballet, because we had our Romeo and Juliet tickets from Rose and Emmett to use, and he had hinted at dinner, but insisted I'd never been to the restaurant before, so I was clueless. And his plans for after the ballet, those he was treating like a matter of homeland security, he was sneaking around so bad.

Deciding to be nice and let him surprise me, I decided to go see Alice, as I'd so hectic that I haven't seen her or Danica in over a week.

When I arrived, Alice was complaining about her stomach, which made me nervous as she really had been doing too much less than eight weeks after having her surgery. She tried to shrug me off, but a few minutes later, she went to bend to grab a magazine and leaning down caused her to yelp in pain.

I ran to her side, helping her back to the couch. "Alice you have to be careful, you don't want to tear something, then you'll be back in the hospital and it'll be another eight weeks until you can do any lifting, if Jasper will let you."

"Alice?" I turned to see Jasper standing at the door with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He dropped his bag and rushed to her side, taking her hand from mine and brushing his fingers across her face. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"My stomach, I went to bend down for a magazine and-"

"Alice Whitlock, you aren't supposed to be bending for anything. The doctor warned you that lifting the baby was strenuous enough and that you shouldn't bend for anything. Bella would have gotten it for you."

"I don't want Bella to have to get it for me. I'm a grown woman-"

"Who nearly died on me this past Christmas. I didn't wait all those years to marry you to only get six months. You have to be more careful."

Feeling the intimacy of the moment, I quietly excused myself to go home and get ready for my matinee date with my husband.

Arriving home, I decided to straighten my hair and went with a slightly less dramatic eye shadow because the beginning of our date was still during the day. Slipping on my slinky red dress with the black lace overlay on the bust and flowered detailing on the bottom, I put on a pair of hurt myself heels and grabbed my black clutch.

Right on schedule, there was a knock on our condo door and I opened it, to see Edward standing in front of me in a tux, staring at me intently. "Alice doesn't play fair," was all he muttered before meeting my eyes.

"Alice had nothing to do with it." I winked and he took my hand, walking me to the elevator and out to the limo that awaited us.

Arriving at the ballet, we made our way to our seats and I began to get excited as I always did for the ballet, but this was different, because Edward knew how much dance meant to me. He'd gone with me to the studio and watched me dance on the same floor my mother had countless times. So having him take me to this, when I knew he spent far more time watching me then he did anything onstage, was just another testament of his love for me.

As the curtain went up, I sat forward in my seat, Edward's hand resting on the small of my back as the dancers began. Time seemed to stand still as these artists moved across the stage and when it was time for them to take their bows I was one of the first people on my feet to applaud them.

Exiting the hall, Edward led me to our limo again as it drove down towards the docks nearby. When we pulled up, Edward tipped the limo driver and told him to have a good night, which had to be a mistake…or misdirection, because there was no way we were…

And then I saw it, the yacht sitting at the end of the dock, with a staff member waiting on the deck. "Edward you didn't?"

"Relax, I rented it, although I do know how to drive a boat and sail, I've never saw a reason to own one. I wouldn't use it enough to justify spending all the money it would cost."

He smiled against the skin behind my ear as he led me along the dock to the ship we'd be spending the night on…with a guy old enough to be my father.

"Edward?"

"He's just here to make sure we have everything and then he goes back to the yacht club; there won't be anyone around for miles if I have my way tonight."

Making it to the boat, the man on board offered me his hand to help me up and I took it, stepping aboard without incident. Edward climbed up and spoke to the staffer from the club while I walked to the other end of the boat to enjoy the view.

A few minutes later, Edward walked around and wrapped his arms about my waist. "What do you say we head out to sea before I fix dinner?"

"Sounds lovely." Following Edward up the steps to the controls, I watched as my husband expertly pulled us out of the bay and out to the sea, far enough to be clear of any inland traffic, but not too far that we'd have to worry about being in the way. Dropping anchor, he helped me take my shoes off before leading me below deck.

The galley was small, but Edward wasn't cooking, only presenting our dinner, so it wasn't too bad. I sat at the table as he brought out the lobster bisque and a bottle of champagne before toasting our first Valentine's Day as a married couple. Completely in awe of his plans, I giggled when he brought out the chocolate covered strawberries, teasing me with one, before feeding me as he had on our first date.

Soon we were tasting the strawberries on each other's tongue and then we were simply tasting each other as kisses turned to caresses, which turned to me being swept up in Edward's arms. "Tonight, my dear, I intend to worship every inch of you."

And that's exactly what he did.


	9. Better Together

**EPOV**

I sat on the couch staring at the ultrasound that Leah had 2 weeks ago with the same amount of awe as I had when I saw it on the screen. Leah had insisted that I come for the first ultrasound as the book tour would make me miss the next two. Bella cried as we looked at our child for the first time, her joy overcoming her as I held her close.

"Edward?" I looked up to see Bella smiling at me from the kitchen.

"Yes, sweetheart?" She walked over and sat on my lap.

"Can we do something special before you leave?"

"Of course, what did you have in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking we could go to dinner, then go dancing, and then…"

"Sounds like a date. How about we do it the 15th, that way we still have the 16th to relax before the signing on the 17th. Did you make the rest of the plans for New York?"

Bella nodded as she answered. "And LA. I can't believe we're really going to New York together. I miss it so much!" Bella lit up; making me glad I thought to move up our trip from her birthday to the end of the tour as we would have a very pregnant Leah on our hands at that point and neither one of us would want to leave her. I had convinced Leah to stay with Bella while I was away, that way I didn't have to worry about them being alone. I had tried to convince Bella to come to Boston as well, but she said she didn't want to hang around all day while I work, especially when she could cover for Emily before taking off for a week.

While I thought, Bella played with the hair at the nape of my neck as my eyes rolled into the back of my head at the sensations she was creating. Just as my hand began to rise up under her shirt, one of the timers went off and she hopped up, running to the kitchen.

Dinner that evening was relaxed, as always, before we went to bed watching reruns.

~V~V~V~

The 15th came quicker than I would have liked, but Bella kept telling me that the six weeks would pass quickly with how busy my schedule was, and we'd be together for the premiere in LA in no time.

Bella and I were going to the same restaurant as we did for our first date and then to a club that Bella had heard about. We'd been such homebodies lately that it was nice to be taking her out.

She spent the morning at Leah's helping her pack and going to an early lunch before coming home to get ready.

Lady was curled up at my feet as I wrote some more of the screenplay so I would have as much ready as possible when I met with them in LA the day before the premiere.

I heard the door close, but stayed where I was as I knew Bella would need more time than I would. We had late reservations at the restaurant so there was no need to rush.

I went into the bathroom a little later to find Bella soaking in the whirlpool. It drove me mad to see her flushed skin under the surface as she listened to music, completely unaware of my presence. I stepped closer, leaning down to kiss her neck. She hummed under me, but didn't turn or otherwise acknowledge me. "How's your bath?"

"Nice, I can feel all the tension leaving my body."

The angelic smile that graced her face was such a welcome sight that I kissed her hair and went into the guest bathroom to shower.

Bella and I crossed paths as we got ready for our date, playfully nudging each other at the sink counter and teasing from inside our closets. When I stepped out of my closet in charcoal slacks and a blue shirt, I almost dropped dead as Bella stood by the bed in a _tight_ pink dress with the entire bust covered in beading that drew your eyes right there. I stalked over to her and wrapped my arms around her waist. "When I see you dressed like that, it makes me want to stay locked inside tonight."

Bella giggled and wrapped her arms over mine. "That's what tomorrow is for."

I growled at the implication as she turned in my arms and kissed my chin. We walked out and headed to La Tua Cantante, quickly being shown our table when we arrived. Dinner passed and soon Bella and I were splitting a slice of cheesecake.

"I can't wait until you get to try a slice of Junior's cheesecake, it's so amazing!" Bella's lips wrapped around her fork, continuing the torture she'd been assaulting me with all day. It's as if my body knew we were due for a separation and it was fighting to be near her for every moment possible.

After dessert, I paid the check and we drove over to the club, getting there a little after it opened. Bella left her shrug in the car and we walked in hand in hand. Starting at the bar, we each ordered drinks and then headed out onto the floor. I was a little stiff at first, having never really been a clubbing person, but Bella quickly moved with me, helping to loosen me up until we were swaying to the pounding bass of the music. After a while, I really had to use the restroom, so Bella headed back to the bar to wait for me.

I got out of the bathroom and went to find Bella when I noticed someone had beat me to it. She was smiling as she talked to the guy, but was her "safe distance" away, as she called it. I continued over when I saw her smile falter as the son of a bitch brushed his hand across her arm and leaned in. I damn near ran over as I heard Bella tell the guy to fuck off. When the guy continued, telling her, "Why not ditch the old man for the night and have some fun?" I almost punched him, but Bella shot back.

"My husband is ten times the man you are, so I suggest you leave before he finds you bothering me."

I used that as my cue to step between them and stroke her cheek. "Everything all right, baby?"

Bella glared at the dipshit next to us and then smiled at me, running her hands up my chest and into my hair. "Fine, this guy was just leaving." With that she pulled herself up to my lips and kissed me passionately. I was all too willing to reciprocate, wrapping my arms around her as I held her close. When we parted for air, the douche was gone and Bella was smiling. "Thanks for not going all he-man and punching that jerk."

"Baby, you were handling it. I would have only done that if I thought you needed my help. I trust you, love, and I trust your judgment."

Bella smiled again as she led us back to the dance floor. We managed to hold out for another hour and then she whispered the words that destroyed my resolve. "Edward, take me home."

Just like that I was leading her out to the car and trying to throw it into gear. I sped home, and for once, Bella didn't seem to mind. We barely made it into the door when Bella started kicking off her heels and tugging on my hand. As soon as she got into the bedroom, she sat on the bed and crossed her legs, motioning for me to come forward with her index finger.

I walked to the foot of the bed as Bella reached forward and started unbuttoning my shirt. That was quickly discarded as were my pants and boxers. Once I was naked, I reached behind Bella, unzipping the dress and peeling it off of her to reveal a pink thong. Taking off the thong, Bella scooted up the bed, her hair wild around her shoulders and flowing down to cover her breasts as she leaned against the padded headboard. I crawled up her body and kissed her, the need to be with her was so intense after the day-long game we'd been playing.

Thanking God that Bella had the good sense to get a padded headboard; I gripped her hips and slammed into her, loving the moan that came from my Bella in response. Tomorrow may be about being loving and sweet, but tonight was all about raw passion and desire, because I desired my love with everything in me, and I couldn't control it tonight.

Bella gripped my shoulders and whispered to me. "Let go, baby."

With her words, I bent my knees some more so I was able to control my movements better as I gripped the headboard and thrust in and out of her, her legs wrapped around me as I felt her tighten, letting me know she was getting close. "That's it, Bella, cum for me."

Bella gasped, pulling me closer with her legs as her head rolled back against the headboard. I kept up my rhythm, letting her pleasure push me over the edge as I came hard. Collapsing on top of her, I went to move, but she only held me tighter. "Don't, I want to feel you."

Hearing the sadness in her voice, I stood up and carried her into the bathroom. Turning on the shower, I kissed her as the water poured over us. Reaching for her body wash, I soaped her down as she did the same for me. We were gentle, sharing sweet kisses and soft caresses as we switched from the passion that brought us together in the beginning to the care that kept us together through everything we'd been through in the course of a few minutes. Once we were done, we toweled off and went to bed, holding onto each other tightly.

**BPOV**

Waking up after our late night, I felt just how little time we had until Edward left, and the need to take care of him overwhelmed me. I had told him the time would go by quickly, and it likely would for him, but for me, I would feel every minute of his absence. It was one thing when we were apart last year, because I'd been busy with the bar, but now that I was there less and less, I really didn't know how to handle all the free time.

Getting out of bed, I got dressed in a pair of sweats and a tank and went to make breakfast. I didn't hear Edward wake up, but I definitely felt his presence as he wrapped his arms around me. "Morning, love."

"Good morning, Edward."

I plated the pancakes I'd been finishing up and we sat at the bar eating. When we were done, I started washing dishes as Edward went to lay out his things before he began packing. Once I was done, I went to the closet in his office to get the big suitcase for him. Sitting it on the bed, I started packing the clothes he had piled up, his list nearly completely checked off.

When he exited the closet, he came over and tried to stop me, but I fought him. "Please, Edward; I want to do this for you." He stopped fighting me then, instead packing his toiletries. While he was away, I slipped in a few presents I had bought for him, and then continued packing things from his list. Once his bags were all packed, we stopped for lunch, and then cuddled on the couch to watch some TV. We talked about our trip to New York, which Edward had let me organize with the exception of two things he planned, which was fine by me.

Around 4pm, we got ready for dinner at Carlisle and Esme's, since the rest of the family wanted to congratulate him and wish him well. Driving over, we picked up Leah, deciding that we wouldn't hold off telling the family any longer since her first trimester was almost over.

I knew that Edward was excited to tell them, and I hoped that having them know would mean shopping trips to occupy my time, even if it meant Alice's wrath.

Pulling up, the three of us went to the door and were soon being hugged and kissed by the entire Cullen clan. When everything had finally settled, we all sat down in the living room. So much had changed since I first walked through that front door almost a year and a half ago, and now I couldn't imagine being without any of them.

As polite conversation started around the room, Edward squeezed my hand. I knew what he wanted to do, so I squeezed it back, and then turned to Leah, knowing she'd come up with a comical way to share the news. Edward cleared his throat and the room got quiet, he then nodded to Leah and let her know that she could tell everyone whenever she was ready. Leah blushed and then looked around. "So…I'm pregnant and Edward's the father!"

There was a collective gasp as I smacked her arm and she laughed and continued. "Ow, I wasn't finished. We went ahead with the surrogacy process, and the embryo implantation worked, so Bella and Edward are going to be parents sometime around the middle of October."

The entire room erupted into cheers as Esme rushed over to hug Leah gently and then nearly tackled Edward and me. We laughed and hugged the family again, and soon it was time for dinner. We passed around the first ultrasound, and everyone looked on with awe. Our little miracle was finally a little more real, because now people actually knew about it.

I didn't know if I'd ever truly believe it before the moment that precious little baby was placed in my arms. It was just so hard to believe that it was happening, especially on our first try. I was sure it would have taken all six of the eggs I had been able to have harvested before the cancer was found to conceive a child, if it happened at all.

Edward had changed all of that, though, and I was so proud of everything he was about to experience with this new novel. Suddenly, the sadness I'd been feeling about his departure vanished as I remembered that it would be a short amount of time and we'd talk every chance we got.

I hadn't realized that dinner was done until I felt Edward's hand on my thigh. "Bella, sweetheart, is everything okay?"

I nodded and took his hand as we headed into the living room to say our good-byes. Esme cornered us to let me know that she'd be checking in on Leah and me and that some shopping would be in order as we prepared for the baby shower. I chuckled as we headed out to the car, to head home, dropping Leah off on our way.

Getting home, I headed into the bedroom and looked over the movie collection for something to watch as we snuggled, but I couldn't find anything. When Edward walked in, he saw me standing there and came over, looking concerned. "Bella, you've been acting odd the past few days. Will you please tell me what's wrong?"

"I'm feeling restless is all. I don't have much filling my days now that Emily's running the bar. With you heading out, I feel like there won't be much of anything to distract me. Alice has Danica, and Leah's pregnant, plus she's writing Eli and waiting for word from him. I need a hobby or something."

Edward smiled and kissed my cheek. "Baby, whatever you want to do is fine with me. All I ask is that you wait for me before you get the baby furniture, I didn't get a chance to help with the apartment, but I want to help with our child's room."

"Sure, I love seeing you this excited. Is there anything you wanted to watch, because I can't find a movie to pique my interest?"

Edward smirked and then motioned for the bed. "Get comfy, I know exactly what I want to watch."

I had no clue what Edward was up to, but I changed into my pajamas and climbed into bed as he striped to his boxers and hit play. It took a minute to load, but by the time I was snuggled into his side the title menu came up and I gasped, not knowing this had come in the mail yet. "Edward, when did this arrive?"

"The other day, but I wanted to save it so we could watch it tonight. I thought it would be nice. The proof CD's came too, they're in my office."

"That's so sweet. Hit play, I can't wait to see it."

Edward started the wedding video as I melted into his side even more, watching the moment I got my forever, seeing the awe on his face as I walked down the aisle, hearing our vows again and reliving those first moments as man and wife put me at peace. Edward knew exactly what I needed. It seemed watching the wedding put him back in the honeymoon mood, as his hand ran up and down my left thigh where it was hitched over his knees. My hands soon began grazing the light trail of hair from his chest to his happy trail, watching his muscles tense under my fingertips.

I slid my hand down the front of his boxers, feeling him come to life as he growled at me. "Bella, that fee—fuck!" He cursed as I applied some more pressure and ran my nail along the side of his shaft through the fabric. His lips attached to mine. I kissed him with all the passion I had, as reached up to grab the waistband of his boxers, throwing them to the floor as I slid down his body and took his length into my mouth. He hissed in pleasure as I worked over him, winding his fingers through my hair.

I let my teeth graze the underside as my tongue teased the tip, driving my man crazy as he cursed and bucked under me. Soon Edward was gripping my arms as he pulled me up to him, kissing me as I lined myself up with him and settled down, letting him fill me completely.

Edward and I made love to the soundtrack of our wedding. The songs we'd chosen to express our love as we danced were softly playing in the background as we each reached our completion. As the screen faded to black, we settled under the covers. Part of me knew that I'd be washing them tomorrow after our _activities_ the past few days, but in this moment, I simply wanted to feel him against me.

~V~V~V~

Waking up the next morning, I discovered that Edward was already in the shower. He had a book signing at 10am, and then his flight to Miami was at 6pm, starting his tour of the nation. I couldn't believe the list of cities he had to go to, he was in a different city every other day. I knew by the end, Edward would be exhausted, and I knew New York was what he was looking forward to.

I showered after Edward and made a quick breakfast before the car came to get us and bring us to the Barnes and Noble around 9am. Edward and I brought his luggage downstairs and found Tyler waiting for us. I knew Edward made a point to request him whenever we had to go somewhere, and it was oddly comforting having him behind the wheel.

Edward was a little nervous, having done a few signings, but never having something this big before. He was known, but was on the edge of being a household name. The next two months would be what pushed him there.

As we approached the Barnes and Noble, we saw the long line outside the building, and Edward gasped. "That can't all be for me, can it?"

I gripped his hand and smiled. "Of course it's for you. They can't wait to meet their favorite author and get his newest book."

The limo stopped at the back of the store and we got out, making our way inside where Kim, the PR person who was going on the tour with Edward, was waiting for us. "Hi, Edward, you ready to get out there?"

Edward nodded and held my hand as we walked out through the back room and over to the area they had set up for the signing. I hung back, letting him step up to the table and settle in as they moved the line up to the table. Soon Edward was scribbling his name and exchanging polite comments with the endless stream of people.

I stood there for hours watching him charm the people who had waited since dawn to meet him, never once faltering as they took his picture and asked the same questions. He'd occasionally look to me and I'd smile, hoping that by being there I'd be offering him some support.

After four hours, Edward finally signed his last autograph, smiling as he stood up and stretched. With one last round of handshakes to the managers of the store and the security guys, Kim walked us to the limo, telling Edward she'd meet him at the airport at 4pm so they could go through security before their flight.

Not wanting to do anything too crazy, we simply went to the bar for lunch, enjoying our last few minutes before we'd have to leave. Edward and I held each other on the drive to the Sea-Tac, and when it came time for him to meet up with Kim, I gave him a quick hug and a kiss and wished him luck.

Edward grabbed his luggage and dashed inside as Tyler drove me to Leah's so we could get her stuff and move her in with me.

Dinner that night was quiet for us as we watched some TV and turned in early.

~V~V~V~

The next few weeks were slow moving, with quick BBM's and phone calls as the only thing to keep my spirits up. Edward's book tour had taken him to Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Richmond, Baltimore, Philly, Detroit and now Chicago, and all he'd seen of any of those cities was the airport and the bookstores. He had confided in me the other night that the publishers and the movie studio had told him about how important this tour was to the success of future projects, and I was so annoyed that they put that kind of pressure on him. Edward would carry it with him and beat himself up to be the best he could, when in reality, there were a lot of people that could make or break these projects. To try and make him feel responsible wasn't fair.

Tonight, after his signing, he had the night to relax before his flight tomorrow morning. I made him promise to Skype me, hoping I could relieve some of his stress.

**EPOV**

After the day I had, all I wanted to do was go back to the hotel and sleep, but I had promised to use Skype to talk to Bella, and there was no way I would not stay up to talk to her. It was just around 8pm in Seattle when I signed into my account and waited for her beautiful face to show up. When she finally did, I gulped at the sight of her in an emerald green lace bra and matching boy shorts, a devilish smile playing on her lips.

"Hey, baby, how are you?"

I swallowed hard at the lust in her voice as she sat there waiting for a response. "I'm much better now. You're a sight for sore eyes."

She giggled in response, but then her face turned serious. "Edward, go into your suitcase and take out what's in the zippered pocket on the inside of the lid."

Intrigued by where this was going, I opened it up and was stunned by what I found. "Baby, did you get me a fleshlight?"

"Yes I did. Now, go turn on the sink and fill it with some hot water."

About ten minutes later, and with Bella's instructions for its proper use, I was sitting on the bed with the computer in front of me, tentatively holding my 'present.'

"Edward, relax, it's supposed to be fun, and since I can't be there, I thought I'd give you a fun _alternative_." The fact that Bella had done this was sexy as hell, add to that her sitting half naked in front of her computer talking me through fucking this thing as she whimpered and played with her breasts for me made this the most erotic thing I had ever been involved with.

After getting over my initial awkwardness over jerking off into this thing, I let my mind wander to Bella wrapped around me this tightly and I was soon thrashing and cursing as Bella's breathy voice let me know just how much she was enjoying this.

As I melted into my pillow, she stood up and got really close to the camera, so her face filled the screen. "Edward, you use that baby as often as you need to, and try to stay calm. I know this is stressful, but I'll be seeing you in LA soon enough, and Alice says you'll love my dress."

"Night, Bella. I love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too, darling. Sleep tight." And with that, my angel was gone.

The next morning, I was on a plane to New Orleans, and ready to attack the second half of this tour.

~V~V~V~

Bella's voice from her phone call yesterday was still ringing in my ear; she was excited about something, but promised that this was the kind of news she had to give in person. In all honesty, I was just glad that we only had a week until our vacation began, but first, we had the LA premiere, plus Boston and New York to get through, with five TV appearances for the book and movie tie-in across the two coasts.

This afternoon, I finished up my visit to San Francisco and I was now on a red eye to LA, with my meeting with the studio at 1pm. The only joy from it would be that I was picking Bella up from the airport as soon as I was done, and then we had to head over for me to tape a late night talk show interview around 6. I wished that I didn't have to work as soon as she got here, but it couldn't be helped.

Just then, the plane touched down and I gathered my things, excited that in twelve hours Bella would be in my arms.

I collected my bags; something I was getting all too good at these past several weeks, and headed out to the car they had waiting for me. We made a detour to the hotel where I grabbed a shower and changed for my meeting, my breakfast waiting in the dining room when I got out. I ate the eggs and toast before grabbing the folder with my papers for the screenplay I'd been working on and headed down to meet my driver again.

Almost an hour later, I was being shown into Aro's office for my big meeting.

"Edward, it's so good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too, Aro. I'm really excited to talk to you about the next book you were interested in, I've got some great ideas about how to adapt it."

Aro gave me a curious look and then motioned for me to sit across from him. "Well, you should talk to James as we were planning on having him continue on-"

"James nearly butchered this script, and I don't want to have to jump on a plane to talk him off a cliff once every other month because he likes to pitch his ideas in person."

"But son, you're a newlywed, aren't you? Why would you want that commute taking you away from your lovely bride?" Aro smiled as though he had me, but I wasn't giving up that easily.

"That's what video conferencing is for. I know that I'll have to make the trip a few times, but there's no reason we can't use technology in the early goings. I studied screenwriting, so I'm not some hack coming in here and more importantly, I know the material. Just read what I have and make your decision from that."

"You have balls, I'll give you that. Oh, what the hell. Give me a couple of hours to read this over, and then I'll talk to the others. You should know something soon."

I was a little shocked that he was dismissing me so quickly. "That's it. You don't want to discuss anything else with me?"

"No, I'm going to let your work speak for you. If we don't talk before tomorrow, then I'll see you at the premiere."

I was dismissed with no more pretense, and my stomach felt like it was full of lead. I may have just shot my mouth off and screwed myself over without thinking. Needing some comfort, I called Bella, but she was already on the plane. In lieu of having her to talk to, I decided to do a little shopping for her, even if I may catch some hellfire for it later.

Making it to the airport in time for her flight, I maneuvered LAX and made my way to baggage claim, waiting for a glimpse of my angel. Sure enough, as soon as she came into view, her face lit up. I jogged over to her, scooping her up into my arms, and squeezing her to me. "Edward, what's wrong?"

She pulled back and looked over my worried features, seeing the disappointment almost immediately. "I'll tell you later. Let's just get you out of here."

As if on cue, there was some commotion. I brought her forward to claim her bags as they came down the belt and held her tight as the LA paparazzi snapped photos of us walking, some of them calling out the name of some poor CW-looking actor who was the flavor of the month. I groaned thinking the blogs would be going crazy posting pictures of us with the intention of causing an uproar in the life of a guy who probably wasn't even in LA at the moment.

Bella just laughed it all off, knowing that only two of them even knew who I was, as we got into the limo and headed to the hotel again. "How long do you think it will take the guy from TMZ to break the news to his camera guy that he didn't just catch Austin Marks cheating on his fiancée?"

I shook my head as the limo came to a stop. A moment later the door opened, Bella's bags already on a cart. "I have to go to my taping, but I want you to make your arrangements for tomorrow and relax. I'll be back soon and then we can have dinner."

"All right, I'll go live my Pretty Woman fantasy while you tape 'The Late Late Show.'" Bella kissed me one last time and then stepped out and walked into the lobby of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

**BPOV**

I had been joking about the whole 'Pretty Woman' thing, but sure enough, the doors opened to the penthouse, and I was left in a colossal room with a note from Edward explaining that we were entitled to 5 hours of special pampering, and he wanted me to use it to get ready for the premiere tomorrow. I called to arrange the spa treatments, hair, and make-up artists before I unpacked the clothes I would need and took a quick shower.

Getting out, I put on a pajama short set that I had gotten for myself while ordering Leah some maternity pajama-grams and sat on the bed, flipping through the room service menu looking for ideas for when Edward got home.

Around 7:45, an exhausted looking Edward walked in and the fear that had been sparked by his hug earlier was renewed as I hopped off the bed and ran to him. "Edward?"

He held me tight again, and it wasn't until I felt the stuttering breath against my neck that I looked up and saw the tears. Pulling him to the couch, I sat down next to him and took his face in my hands. "Baby, what is it? You've got me scared here."

His eyes met mine and I swallowed hard as he pulled me closer. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you. It isn't anything _that _serious…it's just…I totally fucked up my meeting. I'm probably not going to get to be the screenwriter on the next film."

He sounded so sad that my heart broke even more for him. I moved to straddle his lap as I reclaimed his face in my hands. "It's their loss, because the movie would have been 10 times better with you writing it. Just think of it this way, you'll have more time for the next novel and for our family."

I reached behind him for my phone and showed him the picture I had been waiting to show him.

"This is the newest ultrasound?"

He rested his chin on my shoulder as we looked at the picture and I pointed to the light spot on the left side. "See that, that's the baby's head."

Edward hummed in contentment until he pointed to the other side of the screen. "Well then, what's that?"

I smiled and turned to face him. "His or her brother or sister."

Edward's jaw dropped as he looked between my phone and me. "Twins?"

I nodded and he held me close, kissing me anywhere he could reach. "Baby, oh fuck, you just made me the happiest man alive. Two kids…wow, how is Leah dealing with this? I mean that's a lot of added strain on her."

I smiled at his compassion for my friend, and then decided to let the other bomb out. "She's ecstatic that we're getting two for one, and there's something else. I was going to try and be sneaky, but I can't do it with how upset you are so…I'm coming with you to Boston."

His face lit up again, and then his features darkened. "What had you planned?"

"I was going to catch a later flight to Boston and then get Kim to put me at the end of the line, that way you'd be wrapping up and I could surprise you, but after seeing your face this afternoon, I would never have been able to go through with it."

Edward smiled and rubbed his hands in soothing circles on my back. "You're too good to me. It's like you can sense what I need before I do, and then you find a way to make it happen. Thank you."

I melted against his chest and then looked up at him. "How'd the interview go?"

"Good, we talked about the movie and the book, and the amazing woman in my life."

I blushed, and then he picked up my phone again and smiled at the screen. I loved watching him when he was looking at what we now knew to be our children. It wasn't long before my stomach betrayed me and we called down for room service.

Edward was so emotionally exhausted that we went to bed early, knowing we had plenty of time together.

The next morning, we got up early and started our day like most others, Edward tearing into the paper, while I stayed in bed as long as possible. We had to leave by 5:45pm to be ready for the limo line outside the theater for the premiere, so my appointments were at noon. Edward crawled into bed around 10am and started getting a little frisky, which I was more than willing to play along with.

Our tickle fight soon got out of hand as Edward had me pinned to the mattress, his fingers attacking my ribs with my shirt draped across the lamp attached to the wall to the left of the bed. My hands found Edward's boxers as I squeezed his ass, making him buck into me and ending any kidding that he may have continued as we both stripped off our underwear and Edward held me to his chest as he sat on the edge of the bed. Sliding him home after weeks of being alone was amazing, both of us moaning loudly at the sensations.

Edward and I rocked in unison as our fingers roamed each other's backs until Edward leaned forward to claim my nipple in his mouth. I moaned as he took extra care with both of my breasts, smiling against my flesh. "God, I love your breasts…they are glorious," his mumbled statement made me laugh, because I loved how his word vomit only ever came out during sex.

As the tightening in my stomach grew, Edward reached down and rubbed my swollen clit, thrusting wildly as he twitched and came inside me, pushing me over the edge myself in a jumble of words and incoherent moans.

Just as we were starting to regain our breath, there was a knock on the door as our brunch arrived in time for me to eat and then head to the spa.

**EPOV**

After brunch, Bella rushed down to the spa to leave me alone for the next five hours. While she was gone, I called Leah to tell her how happy I was that her appointment went well and that I was excited about the twins. She seemed a little tired, but said that Emmett and Rose had stopped by and that my mom was there helping her pack up to stay with them until we were back in Seattle. I had thought Leah would be annoyed, but she said that it was nice to have someone to hang out with during the day.

Soon Alice was beeping in, so I let her go and spoke to my sister. "Edward! Oh my God, you won't believe Danica…she's smiling and laughing and she's getting so big! Did you get the pictures I was sending because it wasn't letting me know if you received them?"

I laughed at her run-on. "Yes, I got them. She's beautiful, Alice. I miss my little D."

"She misses you, too! When Bella walks in, she looks around like she's trying to find you." I smiled at Alice's comment and then heard Danica screech in the background. "Edward, I totally forgot, the interview last night was great, you were so funny and had all these great stories. What did Bella think? Is she there?"

"No Alice, she's down at the spa getting ready, besides we didn't watch it. I wasn't feeling that great so we just ate dinner and went to bed early."

I heard the groan before she started her rant. "Edward, I don't need to hear about my brother's sex life!"

"What, we didn't have sex last night, gutter mind…though we did fuck like rabbits this morning-" I rushed the second half before she screeched, and I laughed before the hang up came.

Now that I had killed an hour, I got in the shower and started getting ready. By the time Bella was due to be back, I was ready, having messed up my hair thoroughly and fixed it twice since I had finished getting ready the first time. I was about to start pacing when my cell rang, so I jogged over and answered without looking at the display. "Hello."

"Edward, its Aro. I was calling you back about our meeting yesterday."

Oh fuck! "Of course, have you made your decision yet?"

Aro's laugh rang out over the line and then he continued. "Yes, we were very impressed with the draft you gave us, especially with how busy your schedule has been recently. We've sent a contract to your agent for review and we've moved James to another project. You should be quite proud of what you were able to accomplish and we'll negotiate a date for the completed first draft to be submitted so we can work on re-writes."

I was speechless; I had somehow managed to get the job. They were going to let me adapt my book and really get to see that it was working without fighting some jackass who only read my book because he was assigned to write about it.

I was still thanking Aro when Bella walked in, which I used as my excuse to go, as we still needed to be out of here in less than an hour. I hung up and spun around to see Bella smiling at me. "What happened?"

"I got the job. They loved the script and sent a contract out already. I totally thought I'd fucked up."

Bella walked over and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I'm so proud of you! I knew once they read it that they would have to hire you. We'll celebrate when we get back tonight, but I have to finish getting ready."

With that, Bella scampered into the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, she walked out in a brown lace dress. It had a deep neckline without revealing too much and I knew that Bella felt good in it, so I had to thank Alice for that. With her wedding ring and her key necklace on, I walked over to her and handed her the Tiffany box I had gotten the day before. She smirked and opened the box, gasping when she saw its contents. "Edward."

"It's a charm bracelet that I had to get as soon as I saw it. There's a ballet slipper for your past, a snowflake for the month I met you, a palm tree for our honeymoon, a baby cup for our little bundles of joy and an apple for our trip to _your_ New York. There are still some spaces for other things down the line."

Bella blinked her eyes so as not to mess up her make-up, which looked stunning, and held out her wrist. "Put it on."

I smiled as I fastened the clasp, kissing her pulse point before we headed downstairs.

The night was a blur for me, but Bella was glowing beside me the whole time. As we walked down the carpet, she told every reporter she was wearing an Alice Cullen original. She smiled with pride as they asked me about my new book and the word that they were set to green-light my next book's adaptation, and held her own with the big wigs who came up to chat.

Soon we were in the theater, and that was when my anxiety kicked up. I wanted this movie to do well, and I needed for it to be a good product because my name was attached to it. As we found our seats, Bella clasped my hand and held on for the next two hours.

When the lights went down, I focused on the screen, but soon, I was paying attention to Bella's reactions as she came alive watching the movie. As the credits rolled, she turned and kissed me, whispering an 'I love you,' before people starting telling me what they thought.

After some more schmoozing, we got in our limo, heading back for a night of celebrations before our flight to Boston tomorrow.


	10. City She Loves & the Place We Call Home

**I know it has been three eternities since this has been updated, but the past several months have been chaotic, and I'm finally learning how to work with it. Thanks to my new beta on this story, Mizzdee, for getting it back to me quickly so I could post it as soon as possible. The next chapter is the beginning of the prologue event, so you'll be hearing from me sooner than it took to get this one out and I've got most of the middle section of this story mapped out and I'm trying to plan out the end so that I can steer my first Bella and Edward to a fulfilling conclusion. Thank you for your continued support and please leave me a little love.**

**Also, I'm hosting a contest, called the "Share Your Inspiration Anon One-Shot Contest," for more info check out: **http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2580394/

Chapter 9 – The City She Loves & the Place We Call Home

**EPOV**

As much as I loved Boston, I've never been so happy to leave it as I was getting on the plane to LaGuardia. I had two days of book related stuff, TV interviews and such and then we had a week in the city to just be.

I got us the Ty Warner Suite at the Four Seasons and made sure that I took care of two night's events, leaving the rest of the trip in Bella's capable hands. She said that I'd get to see her New York and I couldn't be happier, because the smile on her face every time the topic had come up warmed my heart.

As the plane landed at nearly 1am, we were whisked off to the hotel by the limousine service provided by the hotel. Check in was quickly handled and soon Bella and I were in bed. But stupid me forgot about the wake-up call. Doing morning shows mean that you're up in the morning, which irked me as I righted myself and stumbled into the shower. Getting dressed in designer jeans and a button down, I slipped on my shoes and gathered my belongings in my attempt to leave without waking Bella. I kissed her temple on my way out the door, and was soon back in a limo on my way to NBC.

The interview didn't actually happen until the 8 o'clock hour, which meant that Bella was able to wake up and watch me talk about the book, movie and her, all from the comforts of our hotel bed. The interview was painless, as these things go, but the one moment where he asked about who would pen the next screenplay was a little dicey, as James had made a big stink about his removal from the project.

I graciously told him that we'd decided to go in a different direction for the next movie, which was part of my series and the studio felt that with my background in screenwriting the project would be better served to have the original creator behind the pen. Sidestepping that possible disaster, I walked off out of the studio where the limo waited to take me to my book signing.

The Barnes and Noble up by Lincoln Center was the chosen location for my only New York event, which meant that it was overflowing with people. They brought me up to the café, where they had the table set up and I was happy to see Bella leaning against one of the tables, chatting with Kim.

She walked over, giving me a large hug and telling me how well my interview went. I was sad that I couldn't have her by my side while I did the signing, but a quick kiss sent me to the table that was set up, while she stood a few feet away, watching with amused eyes.

It was over the next five hours that I signed 2,000 copies of my book, something I never thought I'd do in my lifetime. I kept stealing glances at Bella who watched with a sweet smile, loving my moment in the sun.

When it was all over, we went to have a late lunch, knowing that I had to tape my late late show appearance. I changed into slacks and a different shirt as we sat in the hotel for a few minutes before heading to the studio for the show.

Bella was present for hair and make-up, smiling at me while I was done up again for the cameras. She sat in the green room with me until my turn came, waiting backstage until the taping was complete.

Walking out to the screams of the crowd, I clasped hands with Austin Marks, the host of the show as he led me to the seats. "Welcome Edward, it's great to have you on the show."

"Thanks for having me; I've watched the show for years so it's great to finally be sitting in one of these chairs."

The crowd screamed again and I politely waved, not used to that reaction to me. "Well, why don't you tell me about the latest book?"

The first part of the interview went as many do, the book, the movie, but when we went to commercial, I wasn't sure what the next segment would move on to. It was at that point that one of the producers walked over to Austin and whispered to him briefly, a nod shared between the two of them. "Edward, one of my producer's has been chatting back in the green room with your wife, would you mind if we brought her out part way through this next bit. There's been a little buzz around your personal life since the premiere last week, and I'd love to have you both out here to chat."

I thought about it, but wasn't sure how Bella would feel. "It's my wife's decision. Bella isn't one to be fussed over, so if she's willing to come out then I have no problem with it."

"Great." He spoke quickly, motioning to his producer.

As soon as the show came back though, the audience screamed again and Austin laughed. "Easy ladies, he's married." He teased the audience before turning to me. "Your wife is with you tonight, right Edward?"

I smiled and admitted that she was back in the green room.

"You were married this winter, correct? How's life as a newlywed?"

"It's amazing. I'm a lucky man to have Bella in my life."

"I heard you met her while doing research for your novel?" Austin smiled and I returned the gesture, remembering that day nearly a year and a half ago.

"Yes, I needed a bar that you could believe a woman would own, or at least work at, so I asked one of the young women working at my publisher's office and she mentioned Bella's bar. I walked in, and was blown away by the woman in front of me. I worked there for a few weeks and then we started dating, and a year to the day from that fateful afternoon that we first met, we were married. Bella became so much more than the owner of the bar I was researching, she became the inspiration for Kalliope, a woman that is stronger for the things she's lived through."

Soon they had a camera on her, the pink hue of her skin noticeable on the screen in front of us. "This is a woman I have to meet. What do you say we bring the misses out here to join you?"

The crowd started screaming and clapping as one of the crew people led Bella from the green room and out onto the stage where she walked over to take Austin's hand and then sat in the chair beside me, a bundle of nerves. "Now Bella, what is it like to be married to Edward? I'm sure the book tour was very tough so early in the marriage?" I could tell he wasn't fishing, but rather asking a genuine question, so I reached over and took Bella's hand to ease her anxiety.

"It was hard to be away from him," she spoke softly, "but I've enjoyed the few cities I've seen with him and I'm excited for a little relaxation before we go home."

"So you got to experience the Premiere together for the first time, is there anything else you're looking forward to?" Austin smiled and Bella's blush grew.

"Honestly, I can't wait to get back to Seattle and our normal life. It's been a busy year and a half and I think we'll both enjoy a little peace and quiet."

The interview lasted for a few more minutes before Austin reminded the audience that my book was available now and the movie was due out Friday. We walked out of the building and back into our limo, where I intended to spend the night truly enjoying some quality time with my wife.

As we made it up to the room, we both changed and settled into the living area until the knock on the door signaled the dinner I had set to be delivered at 8pm arrived. We sat at the table; two chairs pulled impossibly close, just like on our honeymoon, and began to eat the gourmet meal of roasted chicken with rice and grilled vegetables.

The meal passed quietly, and was finished with a slice of tiramisu. Once our plates were cleared and the cart was placed in the hall, I led Bella back to the gold swatched master bedroom. I pulled her to me in the comfort of our bed; it was nice to just hold her, although our activities were a little more animated.

**BPOV**

With the business of the tour behind us, Edward and I woke up this morning to enjoy our time in New York. The only thing on the agenda for us today was one of the shows Edward got us tickets to, so the morning and afternoon was all mine, and I planned to take advantage of it. As much as I loved walking around the city, I knew we'd be walking way too much for us if we didn't at least take the car service to the park. I called down to make those arrangements at the same time I placed our breakfast order.

Edward was in the shower, so I got dressed; absolutely in love with the amazing 360 degree views offered by the large windows, but glad that I wasn't currently on display for the great New York area.

When he emerged, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, we sat down to our breakfast and then gathered a few things, books, a small camping blanket, and our camera.

The car took us to the southeast corner of the park and was waiting at the light to turn in, when I saw the horse drawn carriage. Smiling excitedly, I grabbed Edward's hand and we said a quick good-bye to our driver before hiring the carriage ride. The last time I did this, it was with Leah and the boys, but today, I'd be enjoying the trip with my husband.

Climbing into the large carriage, Benji, our carriage driver, took off up the East Dr. He took us past the Sheep Meadow, telling us that it received its name as the home of a shepherd and his flock of sheep until the 1930's with the former Tavern on the Green being his home. Continuing the tour uptown, we learned the history of the statues and arches across the park and various little known facts.

Finally asking him to leave us near the lake by the Boathouse, I showed Edward one of my favorite places. Walking around to the well-hidden spot, the rock carved staircase, which led to the tiny covered bench, was thankfully empty at this time on a weekday. "This is Wagner Cove. It was something that Leah and I stumbled upon killing time when we went to Shakespeare in the Park, waiting for the boys to meet up with us. It's so peaceful and the turtles and ducks swim right to the water's edge."

"It's beautiful, baby. Do you want to sit here for a while?"

I nodded excitedly as we sat on the small bench and snuggled as we looked out at the water. A few rowboats from the Boathouse floated past, but none ventured into the cove because, unless you were a skilled rower, it was easy to run aground.

Edward snapped a few pictures and then handed me the camera, allowing me to capture what I loved best about the area. Soon we were on our way, making the walk over to Strawberry Fields. That was something that Edward had mentioning wanting to see, and it truly is amazing how many people flock there and how it always seems to have the flowers beautifully placed around the circle in a peace sign while people look on and take photos.

I took the opportunity to snap a shot of Edward crouching to touch the mosaic and then we walked hand in hand to the Shakespeare Garden. The garden in April is an awe-inspiring sight, and having trouble finding it, even with its proximity to the theater, it was a great walk for Edward and I to experience for the first time together.

Exiting the garden, we walked up to the theater and our fun really began. Walking Edward to the entrance to the Delacorte, I showed him the statues of Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest, then I turned and pointed to the path behind us, leading North through the park. "This is where the line started. Now, the first day we showed up, the website said that the park opened at 6am. So we were waiting where it said the line was supposed to start outside the park. Then we found out that the park wasn't _really _closed and that people were there for hours, so we got on the real line and waited until one of the staffers came by and told us that with the number of seats in the theater, we weren't going to get tickets that day. It was disappointing, but we didn't have many plans, as it was our first full day in the city. So we got off the line and walked up to the theater, trying to find out when people had shown up. The rest of the morning was spent hanging around the park, and that night we saw a Broadway show with tickets we got at TKTS. The next day, we were here at 4:15 with a blanket and plenty to keep us busy. That was when we met Jared and Paul. They'd played a gig that night and then came straight to the park, so they started jamming and we hung out with them. When they found out we were visiting the city, they offered to sit with us at the show and get their friends tickets somewhere else, because every person could get two tickets. We spent all of that day in the park; just stumbling upon all these things that now, I absolutely love. Now come on, I want to show you the Turtle Pond and Belvedere Castle."

The next hour was spent walking around the pond and then taking photos at the castle. The view was beautiful and having Edward wrapped around me made it so much better. From there we walked over to Cedar Hill and lounged with the food and books we brought with us. Just relaxing with Edward like that, finally being that couple that can't get enough of each other and had to lounge and kiss in public.

Around 3:30, we headed back to the hotel, and Edward finally told me what was happening tonight. "Baby, I know you used to love watching Conan O'Brien, so I got us tickets to see him at Radio City."

"You what? Edward, oh my God!"

He laughed and hugged me, before we started getting ready. Eating at a steakhouse that Edward insisted we visit, we arrived at Radio City and I ordered a CoCo, which was a white Russian, and we took our seats. The show was amazing with the jokes at NBC's expense and the hilarity of his songs, not to mention his opening act that had me crying more than once, it was one of the best comedy shows I've ever seen. As we walked out of the theater, Edward bought me a Team Coco shirt and then we made our way back to the hotel. The entire elevator ride Edward had a little nervous energy, like he couldn't wait to get up to the room.

When we did, Edward had a slight gleam in his eyes. "Baby, do you trust me?"

I looked at him a little confused, what would make him think I didn't? "Of course."

"Change into your robe and meet me on the balcony." Edward disappeared into the bedroom and I went to the master bath to do as he said, I knew he was about to do something a little adventurous and I was more than a little excited to see what it was. Stripping down and then slipping on the robe, I saw the blanket lying on the tile of the balcony and shivered. "It won't be exactly like our honeymoon, but I want to have you while staring down at the city you love. How does it feel to know you'll be fucked by your husband in front of a possible 8 million people?"

I shivered again at his words, Edward wasn't the brashest of men, but he did have a mouth on him at times, a mouth I desperately wanted on mine. Stepping out onto the balcony, I loosened the tie on my robe and let it fall off my shoulders as I sat on the center of the blanket, the edges sitting across my breasts as the fabric pooled around me. "It makes me feel sexy; I love when you look at me that way."

Edward's robe dropped and I was blown away by the sight of him stalking towards me in all his glory. Dropping to his knees, he pulled me to him, pushing the robe off my shoulder and attacking my breasts. My hands instinctually found his hair as we sank to the floor, my legs falling open to cradle him. He kissed up my chest, sucking on my neck as I felt him against my entrance. Rocking up into him, he hissed as his tip slipped inside me.

Pressing forward, Edward began his pace, pushing harder than normal as the moment took us over. Edward thrust hard and fast as I melted below him, crying out as he drove me closer to my release. In the back of my mind, the idea that we were doing it out in the open in the middle of Manhattan added a completely different level of excitement for me, but in the end, it was my husband alone that brought me to completion. Edward scooped me up into his arms and carried me to bed, our bodies wrapped in each other as we fell asleep.

The next few days were amazing, we went to plenty of theater as I didn't know when we'd get back and even Edward admitted that the shows we saw were pretty good. Today we were going to the Highline, a park built on an old train line above the city streets, it runs right along the water and is supposed to be absolutely beautiful.

We took the train to 14th Street and then walked the few block through the area where all the big fashion designers had storefronts and then up the stairs and into the remarkable atmosphere. The first thing we saw were these large loungers set up, originally it was supposed to be made to look like a beach, but Jared said they had a major problem getting the water to not leak, so that part got scrapped, but the rest was kept intact. We turned South, walking under the large building that surrounded the station platform and down towards Gansevoort. Seeing the old supports for the piers was so beautiful, how they stood in the water in perfect rows. The lines of the train rails and such was still there, peeking out through the concrete, buried in the flower beds and even mimicked in the architecture of the park and the benches around the area. Coming to the lower end, we turned back and walked through an industrial-looking brick building that had been turned into a work of art when an artist filled the old broken windows with different shades of colored glass, which diffused the light, creating a refuge from the bright midday sun. Most people might not see the beauty in it, but as Edward and I grabbed lunch from the small kiosk there and sat at the wrought-iron tables, there was a subtle beauty to it.

My phone beeped and I checked it, quickly leaving the email unopened when I saw the sender. "You going to answer that?" Edward asked, but I simply shook my head.

We sat there a little while longer before exploring the park up to 20th Street, before turning back. Tonight we were going to one of the clubs that M4B used to play at, as Jared told me that we'd enjoy the acts that they pull in. When we got there it was nothing like I remembered it, but in a truly awesome way. The walls were still plastered with the stickers and postcards for bands that long ago broke up, creating a collage of talent that wasn't quite so fortunate, mixed in with a few of the lucky ones.

The acts that played ranged from folk, to rock, to jazz, but all of them were good and the atmosphere was what made it better. My phone pinged a few more times before I put it on silent, I could always check it later.

We left around 1am, which strangely enough felt late, it's been so long since I've closed the bar, that I can't even party until the early morning anymore. Edward had asked not to be bothered with business while we were on the trip, but I knew he had the email for the opening weekend's numbers on his phone, still unread. "You can check on the movie, you know. We leave tomorrow, I don't mind."

Edward looked over at me. "Are you going to miss it? We could always stay a few more days, if you wanted?"

I shook my head as we walked to the corner, Edward insisting on a cab because of the hour and the wait down in some sketchy subway station. "No, I want to go home. I miss our family and I really want to see Leah. She's all alone and I know she misses Eli. We've been away from our baby mama long enough."

Edward laughed as a cab pulled up in front of us and he opened the door for me to slide in. We rode back to the hotel and fell asleep soon afterwards.

**EPOV**

As much as I enjoyed our time in the city, Bella was right; it was time to go home. We had a few more months before the babies would be born and I knew they'd be busy. The guys wanted to go camping and we still had to decorate the nursery and prepare for everything. I had told Bella that I wanted to be there for the baby shower. At first, Alice and my mom whined about it, but I put my foot down. These would be our only children and I want to be a part of every bit of it. The guys gave me shit, but in the end they were planning it with me in mind.

Bella loved how involved I was getting in everything and was happy that I wanted to be there for moments that most men would run from. We had to set up the registry when we got home apparently, and then we'd be able to start with the other things until after the party. Bella kept pushing me to go camping a few times before the babies came and I was stoked to do it, because we hadn't gone in years.

The drive to the airport was quick and soon we were through security and on our way home. I had arranged for a car to get us from the airport so that our family wouldn't be inconvenienced. Driving to my parents to pick up Leah, we arrived to my father's laughter as he stepped out onto the porch.

"How's our celebrity son? Was the trip fun?"

I grumbled before clapping him on the back as we embraced. "I'm hardly a celebrity, but we had a great time. How's Leah doing?"

"She's healthy…" My father left the sentence hanging and I was about to ask him what he meant by that when Bella erupted into a fit of laughter.

"She's been that hostile?" Bella grabbed my hand as we turned towards the door.

"Hostile isn't the word I'd use, the hormones are simply making her 'spirited.'"

Even I had to laugh at his choice of words because you could use a lot of phrases to describe Leah, but 'spirited' would never be one of them. We walked in the house to see Leah's feet propped up on pillows as she lay across the couch, a sour look on her face. She looked up and waved us over before pulling me into a hug. "You get me out of this house, because your mother's a sweet woman, but I will kill her if she fluffs my pillow one more time."

My laughter at her threat brought my mother out of the kitchen. "Edward, Bella, you're home!"

"Yes we are, and as soon as Leah's all packed up, we'll be heading back to the co-op."

My mom pouted and walked over to Bella. "I can't even convince you to stay for dinner?"

"Sorry Esme, we want to get settled and everything if we're going shopping tomorrow." My genius wife knew the only way to deter my mother from feeding us was to mention shopping for her future grandchildren.

"Oh, well then why don't I bring you up to the guest room while Edward sits with Leah and catches up? He missed so much being out of town; she's already 16 weeks along." That smarted a little, but I was happy to have it out of the way early. I'd done what Bella suggested and made my call into the studio and got the official numbers on the movie and it was number two in the box office at $32 million, with some blockbuster blowing us away, but for a movie that cost $50 million to make, we would do well in the following weeks as long as there wasn't too bad of a drop off. They'd expected worse, so I wasn't worrying.

Leah told me about her appointments and then talked about the few messages she'd gotten from Eli. It seems that he was in the air so much as the best trained medic staff in the area that they'd get called out a lot. It was a good thing to know that he was one of the best, but I knew she was worried about how often he was out there.

Soon enough, Bella had Leah's bag and I was helping her into the car. Stopping for fast food on the way home, we got into the apartment and Leah went straight into the bedroom to relax.

"I'm going to lay with her for a bit, I'll see you in the bedroom in an hour or so?" Bella was leaning against the wall, and I knew she wanted some girl time, so I nodded and kissed her forehead.

"Sounds good."

It was a few hours later when Bella finally joined me in our bedroom, but it didn't matter the moment we both sunk into the soft mattress and fell asleep.

True to her word, Alice, Danica and my mother were all there bright and early to take us shopping for the baby shower registry. We had already conceded to allow my parents to buy the baby furniture for our house as their present, so I was hoping we'd find something like that today and save me another outing. I mean honestly, how long could we spend shopping in one store?

As soon as the store opened at 10am, the five of us walked in, signing up for our registry before we were handed two guns. Bella, being the smart woman she was, handed me the second gun and announced to my mother and the ninja of shopping that they couldn't put anything on the registry without checking with us first. Each of us had a cart as we walked around the store, because a few things would need carts of their own. We started around the area that was clothes and Alice began filling Leah's cart, claiming that she was buying the clothes for Danica who sat gleefully in the shopping caddy, which was the first thing Bella clicked onto the registry, well first two things technically.

Going through the clothes, Bella and I scanned things that we thought were cute, knowing people wouldn't buy all the clothes off the registry, but hoping it would hint at what we liked. Moving over to the smaller items, like bibs and swaddling blankets and things I hadn't ever heard of before. Bella was scanning all different types of bottles and sterilizers, food processors and little gadgets for the kitchen.

Next was the section for the bathroom and all the things for bathing the babies. My sister was pointing out different things that she couldn't live without. I was amazed by the amount of things we were selecting and the sheer number of things we would need. At one point, I asked who was going to buy all this stuff, but it was then that Bella explained that everything that wasn't bought off our registry would be 20% off after the shower was over. That quieted me, because with the total we had racked up before even looking at the larger items had me scared for the grand total.

Finally, we got to some of the larger items and my mother went right to the furniture. We looked over all the different designs and Bella and I found one that we loved in a dark cherry and my mother was already talking to the associate ordering the set, including an extra crib. Next were the mattresses and bassinettes, Bella was showing me different sheet sets, all staying in the neutral because we still didn't know what we were having.

Finding a cute safari set, we ordered two for the registry and then moved to the rocking chairs. Bella found one for the nursery and another for our bedroom, wanting to be able to rock one baby while the other slept in the nursery.

We were rounding into the section with the strollers and car seats and that was when I lost Bella. She was taking out the floor models and pushing them around, trying to decide between a few when my mother showed her one liked. Bella found a double stroller that could be folded up, but was still sturdy. It was nice and I nodded before she dragged me over to try it out. We clicked it before Bella was looking at the car seats. As soon as she picked out her favorite my mother picked up two and I was going to put my foot down.

"Mom, you're already buying the nursery furniture, you can't buy us the car seats as well."

My mother shook her head and then turned to me. "Sweetie, I'm getting them for us. We'll need our own set for when we're watching the babies that way we don't always have to switch. Ask Alice, it makes it so much easier."

I sighed and acquiesced, knowing that I'd never win. We walked to the area with the toys and I noticed Leah was long gone. I asked where she was and noticed that Alice was missing as well.

"They're up front; Leah's feet were bothering her about an hour ago." Bella looked at me, amazed that I'd missed it, but I was astounded that it'd been that long.

I looked at my watch and was astounded to see that it was 4pm. "We've been here 6 hours? Oh my, God!" My mom and Bella laughed and we selected a pack 'n' play and something called exosaucer and handed over our guns and took our print out of the monstrous list.

Leah begged that we get something to eat and I laughed and told her we'd stop and get dinner before going home.

After we got home Bella took Lady into the nursery to figure things out while I hung out on the balcony. Soon, Lady was scratching on the glass door for me to let her out. Apparently, while I was away, Bella trained the dog on this little grass thing that they would go on and it wouldn't damage the balcony. I didn't want to know how it worked, I was just grateful that I didn't have to play beat the clock by the elevators with her in the morning anymore.

~V~V~V~

The month of May passed by quickly for us and soon I was thinking about the next ultrasound. At the last one, the babies had been anything but cooperative, so we were still wondering what we were having. Leah was now 20 weeks along and showing much to her annoyance at the moment, but I understood her reasons. A pregnant woman's belly seems to be a magnet for strangers' hands and then add to that the fact that she was living with a married couple either earned her pity, or more often, glares from people who didn't know how wonderful what she was giving us was.

Bella had been on her computer more and more often which at first made me think it was something having to do with the bar or the baby shower, but with the constant pings of her blackberry and the nervous look she got when she'd check it had me wondering if she was planning something special for my birthday.

As the next week passed, Leah got a long email from Eli, something she'd been waiting on as he told her as much as he could without worrying her or getting himself in trouble. That email seemed to even Leah out once her crying jag ended, but as Bella was out when the email came, I was the one to comfort her and support her. I was glad that it had been me who was home with her, because it gave me a unique view of her and made me love her a little more for the sacrifice she was making.

The next day was the 22 week ultrasound, which was my third, I had Bella sitting on my lap, Leah's hand clasped in hers as the doctor did all the measurements and told us how perfect our babies were until the moment came to try and determine their sex.

"Okay, your little ones seem to be in a far better mood then they were last time, so how about we take a better look."

The tech started clicking a bunch of buttons and then took the wand again and pointed at the screen. "There's baby A, and she seems to be used to her brother pushing her around because there's no fighting as he spreads out."

"She and he?" Bella and I both asked at the same time.

"We're having one of each?" I asked as the tech printed the pictures with the captions like 'daddy's girl' and 'mommy's little man.'

"Yes and they're doing fine. Now the doctor will meet you in the office in a few minutes, so I'll let you get ready and then you can go back to the waiting room. Congratulations."

She left and I hugged both my girls. "Thank you, Leah. Just, God, thank you so much."

"You're welcome."

The three of us walked out into the waiting room and we sat there looking over the picture of our son and daughter, feeling just how blessed we were.


	11. I Would Die for That

**Thank you all for sticking with me as I make it to the prologue event, this chapter has taken a long time to come, but it's a little longer as well and you have your answers…we'll be angsty for a little while still, but the main drama is over. A huge tackle hug to Mizzdee for getting this back in the middle of a rough week at work, and love to my WC ladies for taking care of me. **

**I wanted to congratulate the winners of the "Share Your Inspiration" Anon Contest and let you know that I've donated fics to two worthy causes. Fandom Against Domestic Violence, which is a future take from "Friends in Love" and Foxy Fics which will be my first non-canon pairing…you'll just have to check it out to see who the mystery man is. Links are below as well as being on my profile .**

fandomagainstdomesticviolence(dot)blogspot(dot)com/p/how-to-donate(dot)html- FADV

**foxyfics(dot)blogspot(dot)com/p/how-to-donate(dot)html**** - Foxy Fics**

**The chapter title is based on a Kellie Coffey song "I Would Die For That" a song about all the women who struggle with the difficulties of having kids. www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=JqfGqOx2iDQ**

Chapter 10 – I Would Die for That

**BPOV**

Edward was down at the Publishing House, taking some meetings, while I sat in my dining room where Esme, Alice and I were all about the last minute details of the shower. At least, the details I was allowed to know. Esme helped me add a border to the nursery to match the bedding we chose, and the furniture was expected any day, so we were waiting for that delivery to bring us that much closer.

Leah was officially done for the school year in a few weeks, so she was just pushing through the days, knowing she'd miss the first quarter of the following year due to the pregnancy. With no new word from Eli since the email he'd sent her, she was focusing on the baby and alternate ways to deal with her pregnancy hormones.

As the night before the shower finally arrived, I cooked a healthy dinner for the three of us, so excited that the party was tomorrow. I hadn't mentioned anything to anyone, including Edward, but this pregnancy still didn't feel like it was real. I wasn't carrying our children, so I was hanging on for vicarious thrills in the birth of my own children. It was the worst I'd felt since the cancer took the option away from me, but it was my cross to bear. We went to bed that night, Edward's strong arms around me, making me feel better about the feelings that were plaguing me.

The next morning was hectic. The furniture was finally delivered and deposited into the nursery along with the unassembled pieces of the cribs that would be handled later. We finished getting ready and then the three of us went down to the car to head over to the bar. Once again, Esme had worked her magic, turning my bar into the perfect setting for a shower. The last few details were being tended to when I heard the gasp from across the room. I turned to see Esme pressing her hand to Leah's stomach excitedly, and I lost my composure. Thankfully, there weren't many people here yet and I was close enough to the kitchen to duck out and down to my old office.

The tears were flowing as I collapsed into the chair behind my desk, my shoulders shaking with sobs. Edward found me quickly, his worry evident in his voice as he got me out of the chair and sat in it, pulling me into his lap. "Love, what's wrong?"

"It should be me!" I wailed, as my face went to bury itself in his neck.

"What should be?" His hands were rubbing calming circles on my back as I tried to talk through the tears.

"Up there, cranky and fat, with people molesting my belly every time our babies kick…I'm supposed to be giving you our children. I'll never be able to thank Leah enough for it, but a tiny part of me feels…inadequate? I will never experience that, and neither will you."

Edward took my face in his hands and brought it close to his own. "Bella, I married you knowing that us having children of our own was a long shot. But we're having twins, and that is because of your vigilance at an age when most people wouldn't have thought about it. I love you, and now that we're going to be parents, that love has only grown. Now why don't we go up and enjoy our party."

The knock on the door startled us both as Esme pushed it open. "Is everything okay?"

I was about to tell her that everything was fine, when Edward held me tighter and spoke. "Mom, I know you're excited about the babies, but it's hard for Bella to be on the outside of it all. I don't want you to tone down your joy, just share it with her a little more."

Esme moved around the desk to pull me into a hug. "Darling, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do it, it's just you tend to gravitate to the pregnant woman in those moments. But I promise, what we have planned for today will be the beginning of a new leaf for the second half of Leah's pregnancy. Now, people are starting to arrive, so why don't we dry those tears and go celebrate your children."

I loved that Esme knew exactly what to say to make me feel better. We went upstairs to find our family and friends gathered with Leah sitting at the head table, two open seats next to her. I sat beside her, while Edward took the chair next to me and we started the meal.

After the salad, Esme got everyone's attention to start the games, which to Edward's credit; he tried his best to follow. The main course followed the games and I couldn't help but laugh when Leah flagged down the waiter from the catering company for a second helping.

The gifts came next, as Esme pulled two chairs up front and had Edward and I settle in as she and Alice pushed the gifts towards us. We received so many items, a large number delivered to Esme and Carlisle's from relatives that lived too far away to come celebrate with us. The look on Edward's face as he noticed just how many things we had to bring home was comical, and drove away any gloom that might have lingered. There were car seats, high chairs, the stroller, a bunch of the other items off our registry and an unimaginable amount of clothing. The party ended and the now familiar Cullen family caravan began. We packed the cars and drove home, using hand trucks that Emmett and Jasper brought with them to get the items upstairs. After the first trip, Leah went to lie down while Edward and I went into the nursery to begin making sense of the furniture.

Thankfully, the dressers and armoire were completely assembled so we moved them where they were needed, thankful that we hadn't gotten the hutch for the shorter dresser as it would work perfectly as a changing table. The two cribs were solid and quite heavy, so Edward and I went to the wall that both of them would live on with the pieces and began the process of assembling them. By the time the family had everything inside, we had the first crib almost together.

Alice had offered to stay and help us put away the clothes, but Danica had other plans, so they left, Rose and Em following to relieve their babysitter. Carlisle and Esme stayed a bit longer, moving the kitchen items onto the bar, and then started taking the tags off the clothing to save us that headache later.

By dinner, we had the furniture in place, including both of our rocking chairs, and had put the kitchen items away. Reheating some of the food from the shower, we ate a quiet dinner and then Edward went to work on the new book idea he'd been playing with, while I moved into the nursery with my laptop, put the clothes away and relaxed.

**EPOV**

I'd spoken to the studio and they were going over the first draft of the script, so I was expecting notes on it in a week or so, which gave me a few days to play with the new idea I'd been working on before the camping trip this weekend. Emmett had declared that he had made the reservation at the park to help me earn back my man card, which had been suspended after I decided to be a part of the baby shower. All of the stuff was in the storage space, packed so we only needed our clothes to be ready to go.

The week moved quickly as my research helped me figure out where I might take the new novel and soon it was the morning of our camping trip. There was a full house today as the girls and my father had come over to spend time with Bella and Leah, while Emmett and Jasper were here to pick me up for our camping trip. With our bags in the trunk, we headed out to Dash Point State Park, where we used to camp with my father on the rare weekends he was able to take off.

Emmett drove to the campsite and within an hour and a half; we were unfolding our tents and getting it set up for the weekend. The reception wasn't great, so I knew that it would be a few days before I was able to call Bella and have it actually get through, but after our celebration of the news that our twins were a boy and a girl, I'd be able to hold out.

The site was set and Emmett was practically dancing to get the chance to fish. He was the fisher king in our family and he loved being able to catch dinner and then clean and cook it. It was something he took pride in and was starting to teach his kids. I envied him that for so long, but now I would know that feeling when Leah gave Bella and me our little ones.

Jasper and I talked about Danica and raising a little girl while we fished and Emmett told me that boys were the best, because they were like mini-me's that you could share all your secrets with. But personally, I was excited to have a little girl too, because no matter what happened or where life took her, I'd always be the first man in her life, and that made me feel ten feet tall.

Around the campfire that first night, we shared stories and just enjoyed each other's company, brother's by blood and marriage, who didn't get enough time together. The weekend ended as quickly as it began and soon I was back in the house, wrapped around my wife after a failed attempt at quiet shower sex.

I got the draft of the script back that Wednesday and was stunned by how marked up it was. I called one of my friends from college who went the Hollywood way after graduation and he eased my mind, telling me that they were being hard because they knew I was new to the game and were trying to get me to make the movie they want. I would have to make a number of their changes, but on the ones that were important, I had to stand my ground.

Starting at the beginning, I tried working in some of their suggestions, making note of a few that I might be able to add in later, or combine with something else to appease them. Bella was in the nursery with Lady, so I settled into the chair on the balcony and tried to work on their notes.

Bella brought me back to the world as her fingers ran through my hair. "Dinner's ready."

"I'll be inside in a minute." I saved my draft and brought my things into the bedroom, washing my hands and then joining the girls at the dining room table.

In the next two weeks, Bella tried to distract Leah, as the communication from Eli grew even less frequent while I powered through my screenplay. It was tough getting some of their ideas to work, so when I found one that was particularly difficult to add in, I found something in the novel that backed up why it couldn't work, hoping that would be enough. This particular day was Leah's twenty-six week ultrasound, her third trimester officially starting tomorrow, meaning there was only ten weeks left in her pregnancy.

The morning was like the last few ultrasounds, we'd get to the doctors, see the ultrasound and then sit in the doctor's office and hear about out little one's progress. Bella was going to all of the other appointments with Leah alone, as it gave them girl time and I still got to see the babies once a month.

While we sat in the diner after the appointment, Leah enjoyed her pancakes while Bella turned to me in the booth. "We have to start thinking about names. I have an idea for the middle names, that you might like, but it would be your project, because I'm horrible with that type of thing."

"What is it?" I was intrigued by what this project was, and it would be something to keep my mind off the idea that I was a few weeks away from sending off my next draft.

"I want them to have first names that aren't family names, but I want to honor their grandparents, so I was thinking if we played with their names to come up with middle names that might do the trick. What do you think?"

I personally loved the idea, but I knew one person who wouldn't. "I think it's a great idea, but I know my mom will not want us to use her name, she begged Rosalie not to name Angela after her, but I know that I could play with Charlie and Carlisle and mix them together."

"You're sure?" Bella was so nervous about excluding my mother, but I knew she'd prefer it that way.

"I'll ask her if you'd feel better about it."

"Thank you."

We went home a short time later and I called my mother, who confirmed my suspicion, but otherwise love the idea. Momentarily waylaid by this idea, I started playing with the names, deciding that it would be easier to figure out how to combine our fathers' names first then choose what direction to go with for Renee. It took me a few hours of playing with the names, working them together numerous different ways until it finally clicked, Carlie. Happy with the middle name for our little girl, I stared at Renee for almost an hour before Emmett called and in the moment it took me to answer his call, I had it. Getting word on the reservation for this weekend, I got off the phone and found Bella and Leah sitting in her room. "I've got it."

Both women looked up and Leah shook her head, laughing. "That was quick."

"Carlie, for our daughter, and Ren, for our son." I smiled triumphantly as Bella took up the sheet of paper in front of her.

"Masen Ren Cullen. What do you think?"

"I like it. What about a first name for our little girl?"

"Teresa?" I shook my head as Bella's eyes went back to her list. "Katherine?"

"No." We all said at the same time, eliciting laughter from the girls.

"Rachael?" I shook my head. "Elizabeth?" Another shake. "I've got it, Abigail Carlie Cullen."

I leaned over to Leah and spoke to the babies. "What do you think Masen, is your sister an Abby?" A movement from inside gave us our answer; we'd officially named the babies. "How long have you been working on that list?"

"A few weeks, I wanted to have it narrowed down before I started bouncing it off you, plus, I tried playing the name game and it didn't work for me at all. I can't believe you got it so quickly."

"Well our dads have similar names and you were trying to use my mom's…when all you have is Renee, there isn't much to do with it. Those names work though, and now we can actually talk to them."

My phone rang again, so I left them to answer it. Victoria was calling with a few more deadline details and told me that my agent would have the contract by the end of the day. I hung up with her and called my new agent, Maggie, she'd been Riley's assistant for a few years, and so when he was promoted and stopped working as an agent, she took over a number of his clients, me included. Those first few meetings had been tough as we figure each other out, and I got used to the fact that she was younger than I was, but when she handled the deal with the studio for my screenplay like a pro, I was done wondering. She told me about the meeting two days after my script was turned in, urging me to get that in sooner, because with the babies due mid-September, it was better to get this in so I could get in a final edit before they came and my time was understandably tied up in other things. I understood having to be there in person to pitch the changes and defend the notes that I'd ignored and was happy that she was thinking ahead to get this script to bed before the babies came.

Our second camping trip seemed to go by just as fast, my mind on the final changes that I had to make, but we did laugh our asses off when Emmett was spooked by a deer one night when he went to use tree number one.

I hunkered down in those next weeks and finished my new draft, sending it off to Aro and preparing for my flight to LA. The trip itself wasn't a big deal and I was surprised that they didn't hate it as much as I thought they might. A couple of my creative changes had managed to make them forget some of the other changes they had suggested and there were only a few that they brought up, most of which I defended and a few of them I won.

With my new notes and the corrections that still needed to be made, I was ready to go home and finish the final draft, I hoped. Landing back in Seattle, Bella got me at the airport, excited about some secret little plan of hers. I wasn't sure what she was up to until we pulled up to the familiar front to La Tua Cantante, I knew where her mind was.

"We never go out anymore, just the two of us." Bella's smile had me remembering my birthday, which had thankfully been a quiet dinner for two at the new Thai place we fell in love with. Tonight was just another night for me, with the most beautiful girl in the room on my arm.

I ordered the shrimp scampi while Bella got the filet mignon, along with the same wine from our first date. These quiet nights would soon be much harder, so with that in mind, I enjoyed it that much more. August was about to begin and with it another ultrasound. Bella laughed about my excitement over these visits, but as I explained over dinner that night, just like she feels a bit of a loss not being the one carrying the babies, I feel a similar one not getting to lay with her at night talking to the babies, so those visits are like my QT with them.

I worked on the last of the edits and got those in by August 5th, leaving me six weeks of legroom to work on the beginning of the novel and make any last minute adjustments to the screenplay before the babies. They were so real, and as I looked at the ultrasound from their thirty-week visit, they were coming fast.

Emmett had called to let me know that he made the last reservation of the year for us, because we didn't want to go out camping too close to the due date, for the last weekend of the month. With three weeks to work uninterrupted, I settled in, often finding Bella snuggled with her laptop in a different part of the apartment, the ping of her blackberry going off just as frequently as ever. Part of me wanted to ask her about it, but I knew that if it were something serious, she'd tell me and that if it was something she didn't, then it was likely not important.

One evening, when I'd finally figured out what I wanted to write, I sat down with Leah and pitched the idea to her, as she and Eli had been the image that had got this idea started in the first place. After a very un-Leah-like squeal, she hugged me and thanked me for telling her story because I was one of the few authors that would be real while still bringing the 'dark and twisty.' I'm not entirely sure what that means, but I know a lot of Grey's Anatomy has been playing at my house recently, so I'm guessing that had something to do with it.

Now that I had Leah's go ahead and a large majority of my research done; I spent the next two days out on the balcony, staring at the water, my computer sitting on the bed inside. I was waiting for something to hit me, but I hadn't expected something to literally hit me. "How are you going to support these kids if all you do is stare at ferryboats? I'm starting to think that you steal Bella's DVD's and watch Grey's Anatomy to look for ways to score bonus points and get into her pants."

"I married her, so I can get into her pants whenever I want." I turned and saw Leah's raised eyebrow and decided to amend that statement. "Almost whenever I want. Anyway, I'm waiting for inspiration to strike. Normally I look out at the water because it's neutral, calming, so my thoughts are the dominant thing, but it's not working for this story."

"Maybe because you're not supposed to be in a calm place when you write it, the subject definitely isn't. Here, read these." Leah handed me a small stack of letters and emails from Eli, along with a CD of Skype calls she'd recorded that they'd had together.

"Leah, these are private, I can't read them."

"You've already read half of them. There's nothing in there that's obscene or too specific, but maybe seeing the good will help you get in the frame of mind for what comes after it. Either way, take them."

She turned to leave and before she made it back into the apartment, I called to her. "Thanks, Leah."

"No problem, Shakespeare."

The next few hours were spent listening to the calls and reading the emails. She was right, I'd read several of them when she got upset over one or another of them, but it wasn't until I read them all back to back that I saw the pattern. Every email was vague about what was happening when he was writing it. He'd tell her as much as he could about the past few medic calls he went on, but it was lacking any real information. And the ones that said less were easy to tell that the particular mission had been rough and he didn't want to worry her, which only served to worry her more.

It was in this vicious cycle that my plot started to develop. I ran into the bedroom and grabbed my computer, working out the plot so that I could meet with Victoria and get it approved. By the end of the night, I had a good idea of the plot, so I sent the document to Maggie so she could look over it and get me the meeting. Victoria liked to hear the author pitch their ideas, and since I was still under contract, sending it to Maggie was a courtesy until the specifics for this book needed to be discussed, or on the rare chance that the book was passed on, because she'd need to start thinking about where to shop it.

A few days later, I was walking out of Victoria's office with the approval and this story was already speaking to me. I arrived home to an empty house, so I took advantage and settled in, writing the closest my novels ever came to a happy beginning. Laughter was the next thing to register to me as Bella and Leah came home armed with more maternity clothes and take-out.

Once the good news about the story being okayed was shared, we sat down and ate. The kids started giving Leah trouble after she finished eating so she went to lie down. Bella asked if I wanted to watch a movie with her, but I passed on it, wanting to get this down while it was flowing so freely. I evidently got sucked back into the story because the next sound I heard was the shower turning off, having never heard it go on. Looking up to see her walk in stark naked had my muse locking up for the night as I saved the document and shutdown my laptop.

"Did you enjoy the movie?"

Bella finished getting dressed and then climbed on bed next to me. "Yeah. You get some work done on the novel today?"

"I did. I'm excited about this one. It's more political than my others, but it's something I want to do after meeting Eli."

"I'm happy for you; you seem to be more at ease when working on your novels. Night babe." She yawned as her body settled into my chest and I drifted off to sleep a few minutes later.

Once again, I was sucked into the writing and the month seemed to get away from me. The story was coming together during the day and I made sure to make plenty of time for Bella. She'd been so amazing about letting me get to work on this and now that we were getting close to the due date, she just pushed me to focus on it even more. "Edward, the house is quiet and I know we're both home with Emily running the bar and you writing, but the babies are going to take a lot of time away from your writing, so I want you to put as much into it as you can."

"You're too good to me, thank you for understanding."

"Baby, it's what we do. I'll always support your work."

With that little bit of encouragement, I buckled down to finish the chapter I was working on before the final camping trip this weekend. I was so close to the real action of the story and I wanted to finish these last few passages before making the move into the harder drama.

Friday found me once again kissing my Bella good-bye, with a quick hug for Leah as Emmett dragged me out the door. He was bouncing in the driver's seat as we headed out of the city, finally telling me that he was excited for the camping trip, but even more psyched about the babies. My brother was a teddy bear of a guy and between him and his brood all excited about their cousins, Rosalie had her hands full.

We were back at the park soon and had ourselves set and off in search of our food for the night, which led to Jasper and I trying to send Emmett off downstream. Dinner that evening was quiet and as we turned in for the night, I enjoyed the peace that the city couldn't offer. The next day was filled with some hiking and a long discussion on parenthood. It seemed like they were trying to scare me, but I knew that Bella and I could handle whatever was thrown at us.

Waking up Sunday morning, I was ready for our final day out here, but not long after I woke, I noticed that I had a voicemail. It would be tough to hear out here, but I dialed in and listened as best as I could. From the moment I heard Bella's incoherent message of broken sobs and shallow breaths my heart was gone. It hadn't dropped into my feet, or jumped into my throat; it was ripped from my chest and took up residence beside her, waiting for me to find them both again.

"Edward, this is QT time, get off the ph-" Emmett's words died in his throat as soon as he took in my expression. "What's wrong?"

"It's Bella, I don't know what's wrong, but she's…I have to get to her."

"Jasper, start packing, we have to head home now!" Emmett turned to me. "Try calling Rosie, she may be able to tell you more calmly than the others."

Nodding, I hiked a little farther to get better service and called Rosalie. What she could tell me wasn't much, but it didn't sound good either. Bella was devastated, but the reception was shit, so I couldn't make out why, and Bella didn't want anyone else but me. Alice was worried too, but not even my mother could get her to open the bedroom door. What had happened to make my love shut herself in like this? My mind was racing but any possibility became too scary to think about without solid answers, so I simply pushed my foot forward and watched the car pick up speed.

I was surprised that Emmett let me drive his Jeep, but I guess he didn't want to fight with me, so he simply let it go.

Now Forty miles from Seattle, which meant in an hour I would be pulling Bella into my arms and finally getting some answers. I just tried to make it back home, and as the miles continued to pass I was even more on edge, if that was possible.

Finally, we entered the city limits and I maneuvered the city traffic before pulling up outside the building. We had passed the bar eight blocks ago, so I knew it was still standing, which meant that whatever this was, was personal.

I jumped out and grabbed my bag, not even saying good-bye to Emmett or Jasper before running to the elevator. I rode up to our floor and stepped out making my way to our condo. I put my key in the door and threw my bags down. All of the lights were off and I could hear Bella's sobs in the bedroom. As I came into the apartment, I scooped up the phone and scrolled through the frantic phone log of missed calls from my family to see the last call Bella answered, trying to see if that could give me a clue, and when I saw it, I knew immediately what was wrong.

I had to remind myself to breathe as I threw the phone onto the couch and made my way to the bedroom, tears streaming down my cheeks. I opened the door and saw Bella lying there, clutching onto my pillow, crying uncontrollably. I jumped onto the middle of the bed and wrapped my left arm under her while pulling my pillow from her with my right. She rolled into my chest and grabbed hold of my shirt as I pulled her closer and cried with my wife, giving her a moment before she spoke.

"Eli…injured…Leah was…the babies-"

Hearing her mention the babies had me terrified, because if they had been delivered and were healthy, she'd be at the hospital and not here. "Bella, what happened to the babies?"

"They…stopped…her labor; she's in the hospital until…they're born."

I let out a sigh of relief that the babies were okay for now. "Well that's good, how is Leah, and why aren't you there with her?"

Her cries had quieted enough that I could understand her as she continued to tell me the story. "I couldn't. She's crying about Eli and after the scare with the babies, I needed you with me. No one could reach any of you, your father was going to head down there if we couldn't get a hold of you by noon, and he said that a day was the most he'd wait. They can't come yet, they're already small because they're twins, they need more time, but Leah may not be able to give it to them. If they call to update her on Eli's condition and its bad news…"

Her mention of Eli brought back the person who this all started with. "What happened to Eli?"

"She doesn't know, he was injured and they have him at Walter Reed, but she can't fly out because of the babies, which is what had her so upset. Watching her cry out for him, I needed that same thing. I needed to hold you and know that you were safe with my own eyes even though it was only a camping trip."

Her anguish broke my heart as I pulled her in closer, kissing her face all over. "I'm right here, love. I'm not going anywhere. Now, are you ready to go back to the hospital?"

I looked back to see the fear in her eyes, but I just hugged her closer and wiped away the last of the innumerable tears she'd cried since yesterday. We took a little while to get cleaned up and then called our family to let them know that Leah was in the hospital, but that we were going alone and we'd let them know when might be a better time for them to visit.

We drove to the hospital in silence and as I parked the car, Bella automatically tensed. "It'll be okay." I whispered as we got out and walked to the elevator. The ride to her floor seemed to last forever, but finally we checked in at the nurses' station and then found her room.

When we walked in, the doctor was turning to leave and he looked to Bella before he began to speak. "It's good to see you again, Mrs. Cullen. Your friend Leah has given me permission to speak to you about her condition, as you're the mother of the children she's carrying. Leah has an elevated blood pressure. Now normally, it wouldn't be that bad, but with the stress of the pregnancy and some bad news she received recently, it's developed into preeclampsia. Now what that means is she's in a very precarious place. The only treatment for this condition is to deliver the babies, but with the last recorded measurements for your children and the fact that she's thirty-three weeks along means that we'd like to put off delivery for as long as possible, but at the same time, we will have to induce labor again if she takes a turn. As of right now, your son is the more developed of your twins, and will most likely have the fewest complications, but his sister's-"

"Abby." Bella barely breathed out, but he acknowledged it.

"Abby's the one we're more concerned with. Leah will remain here until the twins are delivered, which could be any time between now and their due date. The news that upset her, do you have any way of having the information go through you for the time being?"

"Her boyfriend is in the military and he was injured in action. We don't know much else, but I don't think they'll share it with anyone but her."

The doctor nodded as his pager sounded. "Well, in any case, try to keep her calm, and we're limiting the visitors for the present. I'm sorry, but I have to answer this page."

He left and Bella still stood frozen, watching her friend in the hospital bed, sleeping on her left side so that she was facing away from us. "We can't lose them."

I pulled her back against my chest, holding her tight against me. "We won't. This is bad, but Leah will hold out a little bit longer, the babies will be born and then she can find out exactly what's going on with Eli. Do you know when they're supposed to try and reach her again?"

Bella shook her head and then moved to Leah's side, sitting down in the chair at her bedside and staring at her sleeping form.

For the next two days, Leah was on strict bed rest along with some other pretty odd methods to keep her from going into labor. Her blood pressure had gone down some, but it still wasn't low enough for the doctor's liking. We fought to keep her spirits up, but without word on Eli, there wasn't any way to improve her mood. Bella was glued to the chair beside Leah, only leaving to use the restroom and visit the same chapel where her prayers for my mother were answered, hoping that God was still listening.

The third day of our vigil at Leah's bedside, and the fourth of her stay was when things began to go south. She started having nightmares, and that kept her blood pressure dangerously high, her doctor informing us that an emergency C-section may be done at any time. Our fear over what that would mean for Masen and Abby was met with his professional tone. "The longer they're in utero the better, but they're old enough to survive. The question is how long they'll have to stay in the hospital before they can go home, but there comes a point where we simply cannot wait any longer, and it may be fast approaching."

He rushed out of the room to make the initial preparations for what may be coming at a frightening pace, and I finally had to take matters into my own hands. Picking up the phone at Leah's bedside, I dialed 411 and waited for the prompt.

"What city and state?" The automated voice asked.

"Washington, DC."

There was a click and then the person on the other line spoke. "What listing?"

"Walter Reed Army Medical Center."

The gasp that sounded behind me only steeled my nerves as I asked to be connected to the number. Once I got someone on the other end, I quickly, and as calmly as possible, explained who I was and what I needed. At first, they were a little standoffish, but after I explained that I was requesting information on behalf of the next of kin of Captain Eli Michael Keagen, they were a little less dismissive. I finally got them to put me through to the nurses' station on his floor and explained once again why I was calling. While she wasn't able to divulge any information about his condition, the angel did put me through to his room. When the line was picked up, I heard a voice I felt like it'd been a lifetime since I'd heard and that alone brought a sigh of relief from me. "Eli?"

"Edward? Man what's going on? How did you know I was in here? Did Leah tell you? Because they told me my next of kin was notified, but then I never heard anything."

I took a deep breath. "She's right next to me, Eli. We're at the hospital."

"She had the babies?" His voice sounded concerned, but I got in my answer quickly.

"No, but she's about to. They're getting ready to do an emergency C-section and she's been freaking out for days not knowing what your injury was."

"Can you put her on the phone?"

I looked over at Leah's terrified face and consented, knowing he was the only person who could calm her down. "Eli?" Her voice was strained as she began to cry. She wasn't on the phone for long before the orderlies came in to wheel her away. "Okay, I'll see you in a few days, I love you."

I took the phone from her and put it to my ear to see if Eli was still there. "Eli?"

"They're moving me to the hospital on my base by the end of the week. I can do rehab anywhere, but I chose to be home with Leah."

"How were you injured?" It was something that was still plaguing me, and with him coming back to Seattle so soon, that had to be a good sign.

"Anti-Personnel Device. They had to amputate my left leg just below the knee."

I was at a loss for words after that…Eli was my age and the thought of that happening…it was intense. "Eli, man…I-"

"It's okay, E. We'll chat soon, now you go say hi to those babies for me and keep taking care of Leah for me."

I hung up and turned to Bella, who was anxious to get to the waiting room so they could notify us as soon as the babies were born. We waited what felt like an eternity, but was actually a very short period of time for the doctor to come out and brief us on everyone's condition.

When he walked out, he seemed happy, which helped ease the knot in my stomach. "Leah's doing much better, they're bringing her down to recovery in a little while and you'll be able to see her once she's moved back to her room. Now, Masen is fine, he just over 4lbs and everything seems to be okay. However, Abby's having a little difficulty breathing at the moment, but they've brought her down to the NICU as well, and we're monitoring her closely. It is something that will most likely clear up in the next few weeks while she's working to put on the additional weigh required to be discharged, but if you'd like, you can head down there and check in with the nurses and find out when you'll be able to sit in with them. Congratulations."

I turned to Bella as she stood beside me crying. "What do you say, mom, you want to head down and check on them before we call everyone?" All she did was nod and I pulled her to me. "It's okay baby, it's over and everyone's going to be just fine."


	12. Coming Home

I know this is a long time coming, but I've finally gotten my mojo back and balancing and just finding my words is getting easier. I've got a solid outline and I'm starting the next chapter soon, so until then, love to my beta Mizzdee for helping me with this labor of love.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Story is rated M for language, some violence and lemons.

Chapter 11 – Coming Home

**EPOV**

The first couple of days after the babies were born were stressful. Bella spent every moment they allowed in the NICU with Abby and Masen, who were now in the same incubator because it was proven that it helped the underdeveloped sibling to have their twin with them.

My children were perfect, but Abby was just so tiny. I was afraid to hold her, even sitting in the rocking chair, so I just stood beside Bella as she cooed at our daughter. It felt good to say that about our little miracles, because that's what they were. They'd survived a traumatic beginning, but we would make sure they didn't have to suffer any longer.

Bella was either with our twins or with Leah, who was now doing a lot better. As the doctor had said, the medical condition cleared itself up once the babies were born, and with Eli on his way home, we would all feel better.

The family was in constantly, their energy was keeping us going, but I was looking forward to the moment we'd be home with the kids. The relative quiet of our apartment would be a welcome change.

I walked back into Leah's room to see Bella packing her bag. "Eli will be in his room tomorrow and I want to be there when he arrives. They're letting me stay in the family housing while he's going through rehab," Leah answered my question.

"Do they know how long he'll be in the hospital?" Bella asked.

"Well it all depends, he probably won't be in the hospital the entire time, but he could be recovering for nine months. His wound has healed, now he has to get used to the pressure and the different dressings so he can learn how to use his prosthetic," Leah told us.

As we walked out for the night, I was able to convince Leah to use a car service instead of trying to drive. Bella was hiding her anxiety, both for Eli and for being away from Leah, who somehow kept her sanity in check. I was just hoping that as the kids grew stronger and the good report s kept coming from Leah that she would be able to find the inner peace that was currently missing for her.

**BPOV**

The last few weeks were the hardest I'd ever lived through. Eli had lost his leg, we almost lost the babies and Leah's health had been put at risk too. But somehow, Edward held me together. Masen had been gaining weight faster than his sister had and was all set to be released, before he caught an infection that added to his hospital stay.

Leah called me every night, telling me about her time with Eli and how he was doing. For someone who had just suffered such a life-threatening experience, Eli was the most positive one of us. I felt bad when he told me about the rate of infections while in the hospital, and how Masen would bounce back soon.

And just like he told us, with a clean bill of health and their weights above the requirement for the pediatrician to discharge them, we would be leaving the hospital with both Abby and Masen tonight.

I just hoped we were ready.

Esme made sure we weren't ambushed right after we got home, but settling the twins into the nursery for the first time as we cooked dinner was weird. We had the baby monitor in the kitchen with us and the tension that had surrounded us had vanished. Our family was whole and all was right with the world.

Dinner passed without interruption, but soon Masen woke up and that got Abby crying. Edward and I fixed their formula and then went in to get them, Edward was still scared to pick up Abby, so I had to hand her to him before I got Masen.

"Edward, you do realize that you're going to have to pick her up at some point, right?"

"Bella, she's so small, it just makes me so apprehensive," he admitted.

"I know, Sweetheart, but you're going to have to get over it."

He nodded, focusing back on her as we let them finish their meals. Once they were changed and back asleep, we hoped to get a little rest, but luck wasn't on our side. The first night was the hardest, their cries almost unending, but around five am, they had finally relented and passed out.

The first week of having them home was surreal. Everyone came to visit, without the kids, and we tried to develop a schedule, but it was difficult. Edward and I were taking naps whenever we could and I was thankful that the bar was no longer a part of my daily life. I'd stop in once a week to go over the books with Emily, but the rest of my time was spent getting to know my children.

Masen cracked me up. He was a carbon copy of Edward, from looks to personality, but much to Edward's amusement he was a mama's boy through and through. If Edward picked him up, he would actually whine before either getting over the fact that Daddy was working this shift, or wail until I came in. Those tiny green eyes burned a hole into my soul from the first time I saw them, so there was no way I could stand his cries for long.

Abby, well she was all about her Daddy. With blue eyes and my brown hair, she searched out Edward whenever he was in the room. She was the more relaxed of the twins, usually waiting until Masen started raising hell for her to join in herself.

Edward, of course, thought it was hilarious how similar we were, but I just pointed out that his high-strung son didn't get that behavior from me.

The book was moving along nicely from what Edward told me, and he would call Eli and Leah more than I would, asking specific questions or pitching story ideas. I knew Edward wanted to take a little time off after this project, but seeing him actually get it would be a different story. They were talking about finishing out the series, which would mean another screenplay, but we would figure that all out later.

I spent my time reading every book imaginable about babies, trying to figure out whether we should make our own baby food or what kind of music we should play in the nursery to lull them to sleep.

Edward and I were still too tired to be intimate, but when you're a zombie, just feeling the other person beside you was enough. Alice laughed when I told her about my 'problem' and she said that once the babies started to sleep through the night, I would be able to get some time with my husband again.

Leah called with updates and I was sending her pictures of the babies every day, so she and Eli were both able to be a part of this. His amputation was healing well and his other injuries would soon make it easier for him to begin thinking about a prosthetic. For now, he was using special bandages that would help his leg prepare for whatever prosthetic he received. Edward seemed to understand a lot more about this than I did, but with his research for the book, I guess it made sense.

**EPOV**

Time was truly beginning to fly. I was just giving in my first draft and already the studio was calling about the screenplay. I was happy that it would be the last in the series, because the jumping back and forth was beginning to be too much.

With the twins now two and a half months old, we were finding a routine, but that didn't mean sleep was coming easier. There were so many times I would look over to see it was nearly midnight and go to bed, only to discover I first needed to collect my sleeping wife from the nursery. Lady would do a dance every night, trying to decide if she should stay with the babies or follow Bella, but she usually chose the nursery, leaving me alone with my wife.

Thankfully, their sleeping habits had improved, so when we could get them down, they woke up less often.

I noticed that little bit of freedom gave Bella a chance to do more things, as she always seemed to be on her computer these days. It didn't bother me, as I usually was glued to mine as well, but it was cute watching her facial expressions change as she read or played games.

My outline was solidified and I was working on the beginning of the script, knowing that in two weeks I would be on a plane to speak to Aro so that I could come home and let the real work begin. It's odd that they're hounding the author of the source material about the adaptation, but it was a Hollywood thing, so I gave up on trying to understand it.

I could hear Bella humming to one of the babies, so I sat down my laptop to check on them. Sure enough, she had Masen in her arms, getting him back down for his nap.

"How's my little man?" I asked.

"Perfect, just like his father," Bella whispered as she lifted him into the crib.

"If we're going to discuss perfection, then we'll have to look in the other crib as well, because Miss Abby has even inherited her mother's beautiful eyes."

"Oh stop, she's going to get teased for those eyes just like I was." Bella moved to walk past me, but I caught her waist.

"You have the most amazing eyes, and a few other things that are pretty wonderful. We should have a little while if you want to … you know." I winked and Bella had to act quickly to swallow her laugh.

"Come here, I want to try something." Bella took my hand and led me down into the bedroom.

Now the sex had always been great between us, but Bella was starting to get even more adventurous, so the moments we did get to share now that we had the twins were well worth the wait.

My mother had tried to convince Bella to let her handle Thanksgiving, but she was adamant about doing it herself. Part of it may have been that she wanted to prove that she could still do what she used to for the family after the babies, but there was also my upcoming trip that had her wanting to keep everyone under our roof. The babies had gotten their first set of shots at their two-month checkup, so it was also easier having the family over.

On Thanksgiving morning, my wife lovingly told me I was on baby duty while she sliced, diced, and mixed up her feast. I spent most of the morning watching her at the bar, in awe of how she timed it all. The kids woke up from one of their naps, so I sat them out on the mat and let them do all their little push-up attempts and just kind of hang out.

It was about one in the afternoon when my parents showed up and stole their grandchildren, leaving me a little time to work before everyone else showed up.

I didn't even know I'd fallen asleep until I felt Bella's hand shake me.

"Baby, wake up, dinner's ready."

I looked up at her and yawned, earning one back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's okay, we're both exhausted. I wouldn't be surprised if you spend a few extra days in LA just to catch up on your sleep."

"Are you kidding me, I hate that I'm going at all. I'm going to miss you so much as it is." I knew I was pouting, but Bella just smiled.

"It's only a week, and just think, Eli should be home by then and doing his PT as an out-patient." Bella was anxious to see him with her own eyes and to have her best friend back.

"That's a perfect Christmas gift," I told her as we walked out into the main room.

The babies had just been put down for a nap, so we were hopeful for a dinner without interruptions. After grace, we passed the food around and all marveled at how much Bella had made for us while running back and forth with me to take care of Masen and Abby.

The meal was just like any other we'd shared since Bella and I had met, and soon we were going around the table saying what we were thankful for. I counted not only the twins, but Eli in my list, Bella agreeing that the three of them were miracles given to us.

Masen's cry just before dessert meant that Bella and I were both eating one-handed, but Rosalie laughed and told us to get used to it.

Everyone left shortly after dessert and Bella and I stayed up with the babies a little later than usual, but when they went down we were hopefully going to get a few uninterrupted hours before their next feeding.

Thanksgiving seemed to be one of those benchmarks, where time once again moved far too fast for my liking. I was only a few days away from my trip to LA, and from there, Christmas would be around the corner. Every single day there was something new with the twins and I knew that even with my mom's help, Bella would be overwhelmed for the week I was gone.

The morning of my flight, I woke up early to finish packing and then sat in with the twins to get some time with them before the car came to drive me to the airport. Bella had wanted to drive me, but getting her into the car with the kids just to have to unload them later seemed silly. So, we said our good-bye with her still in bed, my phone beeping to let me know that I had to go.

The ride to the airport was long with the traffic, so I just played on my phone until we arrived. The flight wasn't bad, so I was at the hotel in time for a late lunch from room service, but that was as long as I lasted with how little sleep I'd been getting.

The wake-up call I'd requested got me up in the morning in plenty of time for me to shower and relax a little before heading out to the studio.

Walking into Aro's office, I had a feeling that this would be a busy week. His assistant, whose name I could never remember, got me some coffee as I waited the standard ten minutes that Aro took to arrive for any meeting. The time passed quickly as I scrolled through pictures of Bella and the kids.

"Edward, good morning. How are Bella and your twins?" Aro said as he walked in and settled in behind his desk.

"Amazing," I told him, a wide grin plastered onto my face at the mention of my family.

"Good to hear. Now, I've planned quite a few meetings for the next week, so that we can keep you from having to make a return trip until closer to the start of shooting. I'm sure you had a hard time getting on the plane yesterday."

"I did," I admitted to him.

With the small talk over, we began discussing the final film and what the studio was expecting, so that my subsequent meetings, including one scheduled with our new director, would go smoother. I finished up with Aro and called Bella as soon as I returned to the hotel.

"Edward, how's the trip going?" I could hear how tired she sounded already and as soon as Abby's scream filtered through the phone, I knew why.

"It's going well, but it sounds like my girl is being a little fussy."

"She's colicky, so neither one of us has slept much. When I finally get her down, Masen wakes up, luckily she's worn herself out so she doesn't wake up if I keep her in the bassinette in our room." Bella yawned and I felt so bad that she was dealing with this all alone.

"I'm sorry, baby. Why don't you call my mom, I'm sure she'd be willing to come over and give you a break."

"She's with a client, but Carlisle's coming over when he finishes his shift."

"That's good; he's like the baby whisperer." I laughed.

"I think the worst thing is she misses you. She looks around trying to find you, so it makes her even more agitated."

That broke my heart. My daughter was crying for me and I couldn't hold her. "Bella, as soon as I'm able, I will be back home, rocking that baby to sleep so you can take a nice, relaxing bath. Aro is trying to squeeze in everything so I won't have to come back until pre-production."

"That sounds great, hold on, someone's at the door."

I heard her say hello to my dad before his voice came onto the line. "Hello, Son, how are you?"

"Business is good, but I wish I was home," I told him.

He guffawed. "That's understandable. I'm going to let you say good-bye to Bella so I can send her to bed while I soothe my granddaughter."

"Thanks, Dad."

"It's my pleasure, Son."

I heard the handoff of baby and phone, before Bella's voice was back. "Edward, I'll call you tomorrow." Bella yawned again, swallowing her words.

"You just rest. And call Alice to come over and give you a break too, Danica would love to see her cousins, I'm sure."

"I'll see if she can. Talk to you soon."

"Sweet dreams, love."

Hanging up, I really didn't know what to do with myself. I was going to have a very long week ahead of me.

*TFYM*

My meetings were all productive, and by the end of my trip, I'd even done a little Christmas shopping. I remembered the trip that I'd taken before asking Bella to marry me, and decided that another trip to Rodeo Drive was in order. I finally got to the airport, excited to be returning home. My flight was delayed, of course, but at eight-fifteen Jasper was pulling away with me in the passenger seat.

"How was LA?" he asked.

"Sunny, how's D?" I loved my niece something terrible and it seemed like an eternity since I'd seen her.

"Growing like a weed, but you know all about that now." He laughed at me because I was finally a father and could understand the feeling.

"I know. Bella's been texting me pictures and I feel like I was gone for a month, instead of a few days."

"It gets easier." Jasper comforted me.

The remainder of the drive passed in easy conversation, and I was soon walking into the lobby of my complex, making my way home.

The house was eerily quiet when I walked in, but the sight of Bella's purse let me know she was home. I peeked in on the twins, who were both sleeping soundly, and then continued on to discover my wife tucked into our own bed. I hadn't slept well without her beside me, so I stripped down and pulled her into my arms.

"Edward?" she asked sleepily.

"Shh, go back to sleep. You must be tired to be in bed this early."

"I finally had a day without either one of them being cranky, so I decided to get an early night's sleep."

Her body snuggled a little closer as I left myself fall asleep.

It was a quarter to three when Abby's cries woke us. I was out of bed before Bella could even think of rolling over and I snatched her from the crib as I went to prepare their formula. Bella had everything pre-measured, so I was able to do it one-handed, making two for when Masen woke up a few minutes later.

I settled back into the rocking chair in the nursery when the buzz of Bella's cellphone started. I was surprised that anyone would be trying to get in touch with her at this hour, but assuming it was her emails, I ignored it, even though it kept rattling on the dresser.

Abby was down for the count when my son started to stretch and whine, so I lifted him up and repeated the process. With both of them asleep, I returned to bed and managed to make it through until morning.

Bella was up before me, making breakfast with the twins in their swings. I walked over and kissed her forehead, wondering if she had been as busy as I was while on my trip.

"Baby, have you started your Christmas shopping?"

"A little," she said as she turned the bacon, "but I wanted your opinion on some of the things I picked out for Abby and Masen."

"Show me this morning and we can order it online. That way we don't have to fight off those crazy people who are swarming the mall."

"Will do, just grab my laptop and I'll pull up the page I was looking at."

I went into the living room and picked up her laptop, sitting it on the bar as I started it up. It took a minute for it to come back from sleep mode, but what was open surprised me a little.

Bella had a word document open and from what I briefly scanned, it was some sort of story. It looked like some romance, but what really caught my attention were the character names, Gerard and Kalliope. Closing the window, her internet browser was open also and that had a fan fiction site up with the penname TinyDancer logged in. I was thoroughly confused.

"Bella, what is all of this?"

Not realizing what I'd discovered, she walked over, freezing when she saw the page. "It isn't what it looks like."

"It looks like a fan fiction account with a story posted based on my book," I said half joking, but her expression became panicked.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, it was just something I got into while Leah was pregnant and then I got the idea so I started to write. If you want I'll take it down and delete my account -" She would have kept going if I hadn't cut in.

"Do you think I'm upset about this?"

Bella's eyes timidly found mine. "You're not?"

"Bella, I know all about fan fiction. If I didn't want people to be able to write stuff based on my work then I could stop it, like other authors have. I don't necessarily understand it all the time, but as long as they aren't making money off of it then I don't really care. What I'm more worried about is your reaction to me finding out."

"I just didn't want you to be disappointed in me. I love that story and when I found some fics based on it, I started reading. Some of them are really good, Edward. For me, it is just a way to de-stress and I love the reactions from my readers."

"All those pings and messages on your phone were from the website?" I said, relaxing some.

"Yeah, what did you think it was?" she asked, surprised.

"I don't know, but I'm glad it wasn't some other guy." The words left my mouth before I could stop them as I watched the pain cross her face.

"You think I could -"

"No, never, love. But I wouldn't put it past some young punk to try and take you away from me. It was a stupid comment, but this is a much better outcome. Do you want to write? Because if you get something original completed I could pass it on to Victoria -"

Now it was her turn to cut me off. "No, I don't to do it professionally, I'm not anywhere near good enough. It's just something I have to play with. Are you sure it doesn't bother you?"

Kissing her forehead, I told her again, "If it makes you happy, I'm happy. And I promise not to go reading your story, because I know that would make you self-conscious."

"Thank you, sweetheart. This community means a lot to me. They're so supportive of me and the fic, and I try not to put out any personal information, but when I mentioned that some health scares in the family was making updates harder I got a ton of messages wishing me well and hoping that things got better. They're some pretty amazing women, and a few brave men."

"Well then, I'm glad you have them. Now what were you thinking of getting the kids?"

Bella chuckled and opened the site she'd been shopping on, and soon we had a credit card out to purchase a bounty for the kids and Danica as well.

With that out of the way, my mind wandered to thoughts of the end of this week and our anniversary.

"Bella? Did you have any preferences for our anniversary?"

Her head perked up and she looked in the direction of the nursery. "Whatever you want is fine with me, Edward."

Not knowing if she wanted to leave the kids alone, I asked her directly. "Do you want to stay in and be with the kids, or do you want to go out? I personally would love to take you out, but if you're not -"

"Can we go out?" she asked hopefully. "I haven't gotten to go out and be a person in a while and if your parents can come over and watch them, I'd love that."

"I'll ask them. Maybe they could keep them for the night and we could pick them up in the morning?" I knew I was pushing it, but I wanted some alone time with my wife.

"We'll see. But if I miss them we'll go pick them up."

"That's fair. Just leave Sunday evening free and I will take care of the rest."

Now I had some planning to do.

**BPOV**

Edward had spent the last few days trying to come up with a special night for us and I did my part, going shopping at Alice's store with the kids for a dress and some new clothes for myself in general. The jeans and tops were easy to pick out, and my underwear and bras were quickly restocked, but the dress for Sunday was harder to pick out.

I wanted something sexy. I wanted something elegant. I wanted something my children wouldn't be embarrassed to see hanging in my closet. I was about to give up and just wear something I already had in my closet when Alice vanished into the back room for a moment.

"Is this what my darling sister-in-law is looking for?"

It was a square neck rouched dress in a dusty plum color. And it was exactly what I was looking for. "You're a lifesaver. Edward is hoping to leave the babies at your parents for the night and this might just give him an aneurysm when I walk out of the bathroom."

"Then that's the dress. Let's add it to your total and get you and those precious babies back home where it's warm." Alice went to the register and helped her cashier ring me up. After swiping my black Visa, I walked with Alice out to the car.

I needed to pick up a few things for Christmas, but the majority of Edward's present had been taken care of while he was away.

After a few more hours of fighting the crowds, I had my car loaded up and with a phone call to Edward, I pulled into the parking garage.

"Someone was busy," he joked as I handed him the bags and got the babies settled into the stroller.

"I'm officially done with my shopping. But the tree has to go up tomorrow."

"I already took care of it, so we can wrap the presents and get them under the tree." his smile was dazzling as I leaned in to kiss him.

"Thank you, hon. Let's get this upstairs so we can feed the kids and I can start dinner."

"I ordered in, so that's taken care of, as well." He smiled as we walked into the elevator.

The rest of the weekend was relaxing and I was excited to be spending the evening out with Edward. Carlisle came to pick up the kids before I started doing my makeup, so I was able to say goodbye before Edward helped him to the car.

With a few minutes to myself, I focused on my makeup and straightening my hair before grabbing my new dress. Slipping it on, it fit like a second skin, and the heels I'd picked out gave me just enough height to tip up and kiss Edward whenever I wanted to.

With my look completed, I grabbed my purse and went to meet Edward where he was waiting in the living room.

"We're not going anywhere," he growled as he leapt to his feet. "I'm taking you back into our bedroom and spending the rest of our anniversary making mad … passionate … love." He emphasized the last three words by kissing me after each one.

"Sorry, pretty boy, you have to buy me dinner first. Or you won't get your present, and believe me; you want to see this present."

With another groan and an indiscreet readjustment, Edward grabbed my coat and helped me on with it and then took my hand as we went out to enjoy ourselves.

It was a short drive to Il Bistro, and soon I was enjoying the Bruschetta while Edward ate the Calamari. Edward seemed happy to just stare at me lovingly while I tried to decide on an entrée.

"I love you, Bella," he said suddenly and I smiled at the declaration.

"I love you too, Edward."

"Nights like tonight remind me of just how lucky I am. I have the career I always wanted, an amazing family, a perfect wife, and two of the most beautiful children than I could have ever imagined. You're a miracle, Bella. And you're mine."

With the tears already starting to fall, I reached out to claim his hand. "I feel just as fortunate. I never thought I'd find someone who could get over the slim possibilities that my cancer left me with, but you found a way and we made the impossible happen. I was alone before I met you, and now I will never be alone again."

The waiter came to check on our wine just as our entrees were delivered, so we took a moment to savor the delicious food.

The meal ended with a decadent chocolate tort and after Edward paid the bill we got in the car to return home. I was anxious to see Edward's reaction to my present, and I could see a similar excitement on his face.

When we got up to our place, Edward went into the bedroom to find my gift while I dug his out of the guest room. We met back in the living room and he literally started to vibrate so I allowed him to go first.

"The first anniversary is the paper anniversary, and considering your new hobby, I thought you'd enjoy this."

I had no idea what he meant about my hobby, but as soon as I opened the small box and saw the moleskin I was intrigued … until I opened it. Then I was a goner. It was erotica … about us. He wrote me smut that featured him and I, and let me just say, there's a reason he's a best seller.

"This is amazing; it's also something I'm going to read later. But it seems we're of like minds. Now open your gift."

I watched as Edward tore the wrapping paper off of the portfolio that had five matted and bound photographs of me posing in lingerie. The moan that escaped him was the first hint that he liked it, but I had to laugh when he asked the question I'd been waiting for.

"Who took these photos?"

"A very talented young woman with a studio downtown."

"I think this is the best present I've ever gotten, but I'm going to defer to the real thing." He winked as he sat down the album and picked me up.

"Edward, I can walk," I called from my perch on his shoulder.

"Yes, but I love watching you bounce on the bed when I throw you on top of it," he said as I did, in fact, bounce on the bed.

Reaching for his tie, I pulled it over his head as Edward slipped his jacket off and then we both attacked his shirt. That fell to the floor quickly, as did his pants, leaving him in his boxers as he worked the zipper of my dress.

A whispered curse escaped at the sight of my underwear as his fingers slipped off my heels and we peeled off that last layer.

Edward climbed on top of me, and slid in slowly, causing us both to moan in pleasure. It was such a relief not to have to rush or strain to listen for the kids, even though I missed not having them here to tuck in for the night.

Our first time that night was magical in its serenity, Edward paid close attention to me and when we were spent we curled up together in bed.

That allowed our morning tryst to start easily as Edward lifted my top leg and entered me. This time was much harder and faster, and it was amazing. A toe curling, blinding experience. I cried out with my orgasm and then giggled when Edward swept me in his arms a few minutes later so we could shower together before picking up the kids.

After stripping our bed and making it with another set, we headed off to get our children so we could enjoy another day of quality family time.


	13. As Time Goes By

**I'm coming back from a long hiatus, and I'm sorry for the wait. This chapter was something I've been planning since I first started writing this story, but it wasn't easy for me. You'll learn more at the bottom, so please read that note as well. Though I do read all of your reviews for all of my stories, responding to reviews on two different sites would eat into the time I have to write, but I try to answer any questions asked if they haven't already been answered in AN's or would spoil the story. Thank you for your continued love and support. Love to mizzdee for her amazing work, as always.**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Story is rated M for language and lemons.**

**Chapter 12 – As Time Goes By**

**EPOV**

It was amazing how fast time flew.

It seemed like it was just yesterday that we were shopping for the twins first Christmas, and now they were 16 months old and spending the night at my parents' house so that Bella and I could enjoy our New Years Eve.

Last year had been low key, but this year I booked us a fancy dinner and then was bringing her to Ballet Studio so that we could ring in the New Year with our family and friends.

My siblings and their spouses, as well as Eli and Leah would be there, making it a night to celebrate. Eli had worked hard to regain his ability to walk and in October he danced with his bride at their wedding. The small affair was exactly what they wanted and we were thrilled to see them reach this milestone.

The book that Eli had inspired had gone through an extra round of proofing by someone with a military background, which I was eternally grateful for, so it was now set to release in mid-January, meaning I was soon going to be off on another book tour.

With the kids being a little older I didn't feel as bad, but I still knew that it would be tough. We had agreed on three weeks for the tour, which meant that I would be home in plenty of time for Valentine's Day.

From the bathroom I heard the hair drier turn off so I knew Bella would be out any minute, prompting me to finish tying my tie and pulling on my coat before my wife walked out in what was bound to be a sexy as sin dress.

Not disappointing a bit, Bella exited the bathroom in a silver sequined dress with a low scoop back. Her heels were black and her hair was curly as it flowed down her back and shoulders.

"Babe, we might be repeating Halloween from a few years ago if we spend the night at Ballet Studio with you looking that sexy."

"Oh, hush before I drag you over to the couch by that tie and have my way with you," she teased, but I was already peeling off my suit jacket. "Don't even think about it, Mister. I need some adult conversation."

Laughing at just how true that statement was, I escorted her into the living room where I grabbed our coats and walked her down to the waiting car.

Dinner out with my Bella was a nice treat, as we so rarely got a night to ourselves, and going from our late meal to her bar made it the perfect evening.

"There you are," Emily hollered over the crowd. Seth was behind the bar with the new guy and our gang was anchored at the end of it.

"Hey, Emily, how are we doing tonight?" Bella asked as I ordered a beer for myself and a long island ice tea for Bella.

"Amazing, this place has turned into one of the hip places to hang out on New Years," Emily laughed as she handed us the drinks Seth had just finished getting.

"Do you want another coke, Alice?" Seth asked, and I immediately looked at my sister.

"Why aren't you drinking, Ali?" I asked.

"Someone has to be the designated driver for this band of hooligans," she teased.

"Hey, I offered to get us a car service, but you said that you didn't mind," Emmett defended himself.

"And I don't, so just get off my case, damn it," she groaned and Bella gasped beside me.

"Baby, what is it, is something wrong?" I asked, turning her to face me.

"No, but Bella just figured it out," Alice groaned and all eyes were on Bella.

"You're not mad?" Bella asked.

"God, no. For everyone who didn't guess the quasi-obvious, I'm pregnant," Alice announced, earning cheers and hugs all around.

Leah and Eli arrived a few minutes later and joined us in celebrating Danica's little sibling.

"Are you ready to hit the road?" Eli asked as everything calmed down a little.

"I hate that I have to be away from Bella and the kids for three weeks, but at least I'm not traveling back and forth to LA like I was when the movies were being made."

"I understand that, now that our life has settled down and Leah's back to her teaching full time, I'm ready to find what I'm going to do next. I've had to spend so much time working on my recovery, now that I'm as good as I can get, I need something to keep me from rattling around the house."

"You ever need any help with that, you let me know." I'd help Eli however I could after all Leah and he had done for us.

Bella ended our conversation as she led me onto the dance floor. For most of the last hour before midnight, we bounced between the bar and the floor, leaving us back in the corner of the bar as the TV showed the countdown. Bella leaned up towards me as I bent down, capturing her lips right around the five second point in the countdown.

The cheers surrounded us as I pulled her closer, my fingers dancing along the exposed skin of her back. Needing to catch my breath, I broke our kiss and looked down at my wife with a smirk.

"Are you ready for what the year has in store for us?" I asked her and she nodded.

"As long as you're beside me, I'll be fine."

**BPOV**

January moved forward faster than I liked, but there was a lot going on. Edward was putting together the last details for his book deal, the kids had their check up, and even I had an appointment for two days after Edward left.

Abby and Masen were starting to pick up words now that they'd started talking, but so much of it was still gibberish. It was so cute to watch them have these conversations that only they understood, and true to their personalities, Abby was the quiet one and Masen screamed as he tried to tell us what he was thinking.

That was how breakfast was the morning of Edward's first book signing. The publishers had decided to start him close to home and then move towards the east, with his last event being in Boston three weeks from now. So three hours before he was due to make his appearance, the four of us were sitting at the table eating breakfast. Edward took Abby while I had Masen, making it a little easier as they fed themselves their cereal.

"My parents offered to take the kids for you while I was gone if you needed some personal time, so please call them if you need it." Edward was worried since I had been so exhausted the last few times he'd had to leave on business.

"I will. Your mom is taking them during my appointment tomorrow and I'm sure Alice and the girls will come over to give me a break too. You just enjoy this trip."

"I'd enjoy it better if you were coming along with me," he pouted and I laughed.

"When the kids are older we'll tag along on one of your tours. Speaking of which, any idea for your newest book?"

"Nope, but I told them that I needed a longer deadline for this one with the kids, so I don't have to give them an outline for a while yet." Edward looked at his watch and grimaced. "We should get moving if I'm leaving you with clean babies."

Using the divide and conquer tactic that had saved us many times in the last sixteen months, I washed Abby in the master bath while Edward took care of Masen in the second bathroom. With the kids clean, dressed and playing in the nursery I gave Edward a quick kiss goodbye and settled in with the kids for a relaxing day.

Edward's text the next morning woke me up a few minutes before the kids did, but thankfully, Esme was already letting herself in.

"Thank you, Esme, let me just get their bottles and we can-"

Cutting me off before I could continue, Esme lovingly pushed my back towards the bedroom. "Bella, I have this covered. Go get ready for your appointment and we will still be here when you come out."

Taking her advice, I showered and got dressed, kissing the babies on the head as I drove off to my gynecologist's office.

Dr. Snyder had taken over for my previous doctor when he moved last year, and I was thankful that he was supportive of my pro-active stance on screenings. I sat in the waiting room reading until my name was called, following the nurse back so I could change into my paper gown and wait for the doctor.

It took a few minutes, but soon he was walking in with his normal, warm smile. "Hello, Mrs. Cullen. How are the babies?"

"They're great; my mother-in-law has them this morning."

"It's nice having a big family that can pitch in." He put on a pair of gloves as he spoke, gesturing for me to slide down the table.

The pelvic exam passed quickly, with him asking all the routine questions before he moved up to do my breast exam. I was lying on the table, watching his face when I saw a minor change in his expression.

"Bella, have you noticed any changes in your breasts? Any pain or swelling, or a change in the appearance of the nipple?"

"No, why?" I was suddenly terrified of what his answer might be.

"Give me your hand for a moment." I did as he asked and allowed him to guide my hand as I palpated my left breast until I felt a change. "Have you been doing self exams?"

"No, I mean I check quickly, but not like I used to. With the kids and everything, I forget…what are you trying to tell me, Dr. Snyder?"

"I don't know anything yet, Bella. But I'm going to send you for a diagnostic mammogram, which will give us a better idea of what this might be. There are a lot of possibilities, cancer being only one of them, so please try and stay calm until we have all the answers. I'll call ahead and get you in as soon as possible, and the lab will have the results here tomorrow so I can look it over and we can plan our next move. I'll leave you to get dressed."

I did as he told me robotically, taking the prescription for the mammogram from the nurse along with the card for my appointment the following afternoon. Driving to the lab, I was brought right in after they had my insurance information. Mammograms were something I was used to after my years of aggressive screenings thanks to my personal and family history, but today I was scared.

I stood as they performed the test and then returned home to be with my children.

If Esme suspected anything, she didn't say it, and after she left, I called Rosalie to watch the kids during my appointment tomorrow.

Edward hadn't called last night, something I was grateful for as I dropped the kids at Rose and Emmett's so that I could get my test results. Bypassing the exam rooms and going straight back into his office, Dr. Snyder asked me to have a seat before he began.

"Bella, speaking with the radiologist as well as my own examination of your mammogram have us a little concerned. The lump is visible, and appears that it could be cancerous, but we will need to do a biopsy to be sure."

"I might have cancer?" I whispered.

"It is a possibility," he told me. "We can schedule a biopsy for next week and we can go from there. I will have my nurse call you with a time, but it will likely be next Friday, is that okay?"

"I'll be available as soon as you can schedule it," I told him woodenly.

"Bella, I know you're scared, but from what I can see, we caught this early. Let us just wait to see what the tests show and go from there."

Saying goodbye to Dr. Snyder, I drove over to Esme and Carlisle's for some comfort. I knew that I couldn't handle this alone, and short of calling Edward and begging him to abandon his trip for something that might not even be what I was afraid it was, his parents were my best option.

I walked up to the door and was surprised when Carlisle opened it before I could knock. "Bella, this is a pleasant surprise. What can we do for you?"

Unable to hold it in any longer, I started crying, my father-in-law calling out for his wife as he ushered me inside.

"Bella, what is it? Is something wrong with the twins?" Esme pulled me away from Carlisle as I shook my head.

"No, they're fine, Rosalie has them. It's me. I went to my doctor yesterday and there was an abnormality with my physical exam, so he ordered a mammogram, which he got back this morning. It confirmed the lump has a possibility of being cancerous and I have a biopsy sometime next Friday, his nurse is going to call with an exact time."

"Oh, Sweetheart, what did Edward say?" Esme pulled me closer once she had me settled on the couch between her can Carlisle.

"I haven't told him. I was hoping I could tell him that I had a slight abnormality but it ended up being nothing, but now…"

"Are you going to call him now? Or are you waiting until you get the biopsy results?" Carlisle asked.

"I don't' know what to do. If I call him, he'll come home, but I won't know anything for at least another ten days. By the time I get the results he could be home. But I also know that he'll be upset if it is something and I didn't call him right away. Not telling him that I had cancer before we met almost cost me our relationship, I can't imagine what he would do if I kept the possible diagnosis from him."

"Then don't keep it from him," Carlisle said. "If you want to take the stress off of you while you're waiting for the results then stay with us. We have the nursery set up for the kids and it'll be an extra two sets of hands for you. One of us will go with you to your biopsy and when Edward comes home we'll hopefully have positive news to give him."

"Okay, I'm going to call him."

I reached for my phone and dialed his number. "Baby?"

"Hey, Edward."

"Hello, love. I just finished the morning event, so now I'm headed to the airport to jump down to California. What's up?"

Taking a deep breath, I started my explanation. "I need you to listen to me, and let me finish telling you what I have to say before you jump in, okay?"

"Sure, Bella."

"I went to my doctor yesterday and he noticed something abnormal, so he sent me for a test to check it out. That test didn't give us a definitive answer so he scheduled another one for next week."

"Is it serious, Bella? Do you want me to come home?" Edward asked.

"No, don't come home. Between the week's wait for the test and then the wait time after it's done, you'd just be sitting around waiting like I am. Finish your tour and we will be together again soon. Either Carlisle or your mom will come with me next week, and I'm going to be spending a few days at their house so I have extra help with the kids. I'm taking care of myself, Edward."

"If you need me, you'll call me, right?" His voice was tight, a sign of his stress.

"Absolutely, and I want you to try and relax. Don't stress over something that isn't confirmed. This could very well be nothing," I tried to reassure us both.

"I love you, Bella."

"Love you too, Edward."

I hung up the phone to see Carlisle alone in the living room. "Esme went to get the kids. So if you want to go get your things and come back, we'll have an early dinner and talk more about everything."

I nodded as I walked over to give him a hug. "Edward knows that I'm going for another test next week, but I didn't tell him it was a biopsy or that Dr. Snyder was the doctor to order it. I hate keeping that part of it from him, but if he knew that it was a biopsy for breast cancer, he'd be on the next flight home."

"When he gets back we'll either give him the good news, or if it is bad news, we'll call him and tell him that we have a bit of a fight on our hands. Now, I know it's hard but we have to keep you positive until we know what we're dealing with. Why don't you stop by the condo and pack while I order some takeout for dinner," Carlisle offered and I agreed.

Driving to the condo, I rode the elevator in silence as I tried to think about everything I would need. Esme, being the tour de force grandma that she was had all the major things, so I worked to pack the everyday stuff I'd need for the babies, their favorite toys, tons of bottles and food for them, and then focused on my own things. My laptop was quickly shoved in my bag and soon I had a big suitcase of my own to juggle as I walked out of my home. My large Steve Madden shopping bag was overflowing with the kids' toys on top of my rolling suitcase, while I dragged a large suitcase for the kids behind me.

One of my neighbors was polite enough to hold the elevator for me, and soon I was walking back into the Cullen house to see my children's' excited faces. Enjoying the time with them that evening, I had a calm dinner with my in-laws while we discussed the next few weeks.

*TFYM*

Edward had called me almost every night this week, asking how things were going at home. I had been honest and told him that I'd gone to stay with his parents while he was away, which immediately raised all sorts of red flags. He'd been mollified when I explained that I was taking his mom up on her offer to watch the kids while I took some me time, and it was easier to not have to cart them back and forth. Edward had also asked about my test, but as I hadn't gone to the appointment yet, I didn't have anything to tell him.

The week had been torture for me, wanting an answer already as to what was going on. The day of my biopsy, Carlisle had taken the day off and went with me to the outpatient wing of the hospital that Dr. Snyder was affiliated with and waited for them to call me back.

Carlisle was left in the waiting room as they prepped me, and soon I was lying there, very much awake, as they inserted the needle into my breast to take the sample. The procedure itself didn't take as long as I thought it would, and after a short while in recovery, Carlisle was driving me home.

I was sore from the test, and was whiney when Edward called to check on me that night, finally telling him I was overreacting when I heard him talking about canceling the last week of his trip.

"Edward, it's only a week, I'll be fine," I admonished him as he shuffled around in the background.

"This doesn't feel right, Bella. You have a lot going on there and I feel like I should be there for you."

"Edward, my test is done and it'll be at least Wednesday before I hear anything. So you would be coming home to sit at the house with me and wait. Try and enjoy the rest of your trip, and I will see you in a week."

"I love you, Bella," he whispered.

"I love you, too, Edward. With all of my heart," I told him back.

"Kiss the kids for me, and I'll talk to you in a day or two."

"I will, talk to you soon."

Hanging up the phone, I moved into the nursery to watch the kids sleep, only to have Carlisle wake me up in there the following morning.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," I told him, before looking at my children. "I'm just scared. My mom died before I was ready to say goodbye to her, and then Charlie and I wasted all that time. I wanted children so badly, and Edward and I were amazingly lucky to have it work so quickly. Now, I'm just worried that I'm not going to get to see them grow up." I tried to hold in my tears, but there was no use. "I can't leave my kids behind…and Edward, I begged him not to die on me, and now I may do it to him."

"Bella," Carlisle spoke firmly as he crouched in front of me, "you're not dying. We don't even know that you have cancer yet; I need you to try and stay positive. Doubt can be just as deadly as the disease. You have to believe that you'll beat this, that you and Edward have decades ahead of you with your children. You've made our family complete, Sweetheart, and we're not letting you go without a fight."

Sobbing into his chest, I sat on the floor until Abby woke up, whimpering at the noises that woke her up. Cleaning myself up, I brought Abby downstairs for breakfast, with Carlisle following behind me with Masen a few minutes later.

The weekend gave me a chance to hang out with Leah and Eli, who tried to get me to talk about what was bothering me, but I couldn't tell them before Edward, so I played it off as missing Edward.

Even though I knew not to expect a call from the doctor's office, I watched my phone all day Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday was the worst, knowing I could get a call, but never seeing the phone actually ring. I was ready to scream Thursday afternoon when I still hadn't heard anything, and then as if it was finally giving in to my obsessing, my ringtone went off as my phone danced across the coffee table.

**EPOV**

Boston was a great town, but I had no patience for it as I boarded my flight back to Seattle. Ever since I left Bella, something felt off, but there was no getting information out of her over the phone. She danced around it like the ballerina that she was and told me that she was tired and missing me, but I knew there was more to it.

She still hadn't heard back from her doctor's office when I spoke to her on Wednesday night, but yesterday I'd been too exhausted and passed out before I could call to check on her. Now, I was stuck on a nine and a half hour journey home.

The ninety minute flight to Newark wasn't too bad, and with an hour and a half to kill in the airport I stopped at a Starbucks and got myself some caffeine before using the men's room and going back to the gate to wait for my connecting flight. I could have called Bella while I was waiting, but with it so close to the time when I'd be able to see her beautiful face, I decided I would wait until I saw her to find out if she'd heard anything.

Once the plane to Seattle boarded, I had six and a half hours trapped on my flight before I would be able to take my car service to my parents' house.

The hours crawled, until at last, they announced our descent into Seattle. I was one of the first people off the plane, and after impatiently waiting for my baggage; I spotted Tyler's familiar face near the exit.

"How was the trip, Sir?"

"Good, but I'm glad to be home," I told him as he took my bags and loaded the trunk while I slipped into the back seat.

_Baby, I'm back. Are you still at my parents or should I go home._

My text was quickly answered by my beautiful wife.

_Come to your parents. The kids are sleeping and we're staying for dinner at your mom's request._

Sighing, I slid my phone back in my pocket and tried to relax as Tyler brought me to my childhood home. I tipped Tyler as he got my bags and then ran up the steps, opening the door and leaving my luggage in the entryway.

"Bella, Baby, where are you?" I called and heard her response come from the living room. As soon as I entered the room, I could tell things were far from okay. "Bella, what's wrong?"

"Remember the test I had last week, the one I was waiting to hear back about? Well I got the call yesterday to stop in to see Dr. Snyder this morning and he gave me my results."

My stomach dropped. They only called you in because they couldn't give you bad news over the phone. And Dr. Snyder was her new…

"Bella, what are you saying?" I asked, imploring her to not keep me in the dark anymore.

"They found a lump in my breast. I have breast cancer, Edward."

I dropped to the floor as I gasped for air, trying to come to terms with what she was telling me. "No…NO! You can't…we…I…no. There has to be a mistake. You get screened more often than women your age normally would, you look out for everything…how? Oh, my god, Bella, are you okay?"

"Edward, I'm so sorry," she cried. "I didn't want to tell you about the possibility over the phone because you would have come home and there was still a chance that it could have been benign or a cyst…I needed to believe that I was going to be fine, but then they gave me my results this morning and started talking to me about possible treatments and planning my next step. And I'm scared, Edward. I love you so much, and I need you to be there with me. I need to know that we're stronger than this."

I didn't know if she was asking if I would leave her because of the cancer, or if she was asking if I was strong enough for the both of us to get through this, but I wasn't about to question her emotionally charged pleas. All I could do now was reassure her and get all the information I could. "In sickness and health, Bella. We will get through this together. But first I need to know exactly what has happened and where we have to go from here."

Taking a shaky breath, Bella and I moved to the couch to continue our discussion. "I went to have my normal appointment with Dr. Snyder when he felt a lump in my left breast. I haven't been as religious in my self-exams as I used to be, but I was still getting screened, so I didn't think it was too serious. Knowing my history, Dr. Snyder sent me to get a diagnostic mammogram and those results showed a mass that could potentially be cancerous. So last Friday, Carlisle took me to the hospital so they could do an outpatient biopsy on the tumor. This morning they called me into the office to confirm that I have breast cancer. It is stage 2A, which is good, because it hasn't spread to any other part of my body, including my lymph nodes. But he had me stop taking my hormone replacement therapy, which means on top of cancer, I will also be going through all the symptoms of menopause, instead of the gradual symptoms from when I was on the estrogen."

"Did the hormone therapy make it worse?" I asked, because I remember hearing that some of the cancers almost fed off the hormone.

"It could have, but there's no way to know how much it affected it. My body was still producing estrogen, just not as much as it used to. But either way, you're going to have a crabby old wife a lot sooner than you planned."

"Whatever this brings, we'll face it together, love. Now what have they told you as far as moving forward?" I needed to know what they were planning on doing.

"Dr. Snyder has given me the name of an oncologist that he forwarded my results to, Dr. Banner. He was there this morning for my appointment and discussed a few options. Surgery will definitely be in play, but what type of surgery will determine my treatment options as far as chemo and radiation go. He's going to review my file and the test results and I have an appointment with him Tuesday to start to discuss it in more detail." Bella squeezed my hand as she sat there staring up at me. "I want you to come to this appointment and hear all of the different options with me, because I know I'm going to be a wreck."

Pulling her close, I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Bella, there is nowhere else I would rather be. But right now I'd like to spend some time with you and the kids. How about we go upstairs until dinner's ready?"

"Oh, Edward…I love you so much. You're my world," she said in a shaky voice.

"And you're mine, Bella." As we walked up the stairs I said a silent prayer to God to keep Bella with me, because I couldn't live without her at my side.

**EN: Okay, I know some of you will be very unhappy with me for doing this, but you have to know…this was always the plan. **_**Dance with Me**_** dealt with Bella finding a person to be her HEA after she thought she had given up on that dream due to her previous bout with cancer. **_**The Family You Make**_** is about the ups and downs in their marriage, and Bella's family history coming back to haunt her was something I've been working up to all along. This will be a rough road for the next few chapters, so please stay with me. If this is a tough subject for you to read about, I completely understand, just remember that this is a HEA as well. Thank you for sticking with me. **


	14. The Battle Begins

***There is an edit in this chapter. I had accidently had Leah tell Bella that she and Eli were engaged, but their wedding was mentioned in the last chapter, so I fixed it here to what it was supposed to be, she announced that she was pregnant and that she wanted Edward and Bella to be the godparents. You can re-read that part to see the changes, otherwise just continue on with the next chapter, which is going up today. Thanks to** **Siriusmunchkin for catching the mistake and PMing me about it.***

Thank you for your patience with this chapter. I've done all of the research I need to ahead of time, so I have the remainder of the story mapped out and now it's just a matter of writing it. I'm still working on this and the stories that need wrapping up, so you'll see a few things coming from me as they are done, but this is at the top of the list.

Once again this month, I've been nominated for Top Ten Favorite Completed Fic of April, for _An Angel in Hell_. Link on my profile to the site if you'd care to help me out and vote. You can vote once a day between now and June 1st.

Mizzdee worked very hard on this chapter, including sending it back for a re-write at one point...something I'm really grateful for because what came out of it was so much better. Love to you wifey.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 13 – The Battle Begins

**EPOV**

From the moment Bella told me that she had cancer, my mind was in hyper drive. There were a million things to do before her doctor's appointment on Tuesday and I would burn the midnight oil to do them.

That night we stayed at my parents, and after Bella cried herself to sleep I snuck downstairs to talk to my dad.

"How's Bella doing?" my dad asked when I joined him in the living room.

"Sleeping, finally," I told him. "Dad, I need you to level with me. What am I facing here?"

Sighing, he turned to face me fully. "Bella's first bout with cancer was lucky in that it was self contained. So much of this will be new for her, and incredibly scary.

"Her treatment could go on for most of the year and it will be tough on her body and her emotions. You're going to have to find a strength that you never knew you had to help her through. But you won't be alone. We are all going to be here for you."

"What about her oncologist? Is he who we should be seeing, or is there a better doctor that we can get her an appointment with?" I asked.

"Dr. Banner is the best oncologist on the West Coast, and he got his start in cancer research, before becoming an attending at Sloan-Kettering before he relocated to Seattle. Bella's in excellent hands and I'm sure if you tell him you want a second opinion that he'll give you names of other doctors," my dad reassured me.

"Good," I said because she better get the best of everything. "What about the surgery? That's your area, so what can we expect there?"

"Every patient is different, Edward, and we don't even know what surgery she's going to have. Her cancer team will have these answers for you. Virginia Mason is one of the best hospitals for cancer care and Dr. Banner is gathering his team, who will help you both figure everything out."

"Thanks, Dad." I yawned, alerting me to the fact that I should go back to bed.

"Goodnight, Son."

I climbed the stairs and walked down the hall to check on the babies before returning to Bella. She was curled up on her side, so I climbed in beside her and pulled her to me. She rolled to face me and I fell back asleep with her in my arms.

The next morning after breakfast, we packed up the kids and headed home. Masen was going crazy when we walked in, so I put him down and let him crawl over to the living room area. He could walk fine, but crawling was faster and he wanted to beat his sister to the toys.

Abigail was clingy, so I took her and let Bella head to the nursery to unpack while I watched the kids. I started thinking about all of the things I needed to get done, and calling Victoria to let her know that I wouldn't be working on anything concrete for the foreseeable future was high on the list.

Bella needed to be my focus now.

After a little work I got the kids to relax and after putting them in the play pen so I knew they were out of trouble, I went to check on Bella.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked while I watched her flip through a folder.

"I was looking for the reading material that Dr. Snyder and Dr. Banner gave me when I met with them yesterday. There's a bunch of stuff in it that you should read and I wanted you to be able to do it before my appointment."

"Do you know what's going to happen on Tuesday?" I asked her.

"Well, he's going to give us more information on what he's discovered after having the time to review my full chart, and he will be introducing us to the coordinator, and then they'll tell us the plan and give us all of the options," Bells said. "The surgeon will be there to give us the options, and then we'll have another appointment in a week to make the final decisions and move forward with the treatment."

"Shouldn't we be moving faster than this? Why aren't they starting right away?" I asked, annoyed.

"This is 'right away' for cancer. It doesn't grow fast enough to require emergency surgery, and the week will give us the time to plan, and then the few weeks for the surgery to happen will allow us to tell everyone we have to and make sure all we need to put into place is handled."

"What has to be handled?" I questioned, not having any idea about what she could be thinking of that could take weeks.

"Your family has to be told, our close friends…I'm assuming you're going to talk to Victoria about taking a hiatus before starting your next novel, and I need to tell Jake and Emily and all of my employees. We need to meet with the lawyer-"

"Lawyer?" I asked.

"We haven't updated the will since the kids were born, we need to do that now," she said quietly.

"No we don't. Bella, altering your will is something you do when you're dying and you aren't-" I told her emphatically, but she cut me off.

"You shouldn't just do it because you're facing death," she countered. "The children are only mentioned in an 'in the event that we have children' caveat. We need to set up their trusts properly like you keep saying and then put in there who will be in charge of their care. We chose Leah and Eli as their godparents, but would you be okay if they were the ones to raise them? Leah loves your family like they're her own extended family, so you know that everyone would see plenty of them, but would it cause any problems with your family if we chose them?"

I was reeling at everything she was saying. "I don't think they would mind considering we talked about it when we chose Leah and Eli as godparents, but that wouldn't even come into being unless something happened to me too."

"I know, but I want it to all be set now. It will make dealing with everything else easier for me to deal with knowing that the worst possible outcomes are covered," Bella explained, but I had to change the subject.

"I'll make the call on Monday, so that we can make my dad the executor of the kids' trusts and Leah and Eli their guardians should something happen to the both of us. Now can we please put a hold on this conversation until the lawyers have drawn up the papers and we have to go to sign them?"

"Sure," Bella agreed as she handed me the papers she'd been searching for.

Bella started throwing together something for lunch while I got to reading. Everything I learned in the articles and pamphlets was worrisome. The length of the treatments, the effects they would have on her body and the possible effects on her mental and emotional state. One article in particular was for the caregiver, detailing what would be my struggle in the coming months and the best ways to help Bella and myself deal with her illness.

I was so engrossed in my reading that I didn't hear the knock at the door, but the raised voices in the next room let me know that we had company.

"Shakespeare, how was the trip?" Leah asked as she walked over to give me a hug.

"Too long, but I'm back now for the duration," I told her as I reached out to shake Eli's hand. "So what brings you by?"

"Well, we have some news and we couldn't wait to share it with you both," Eli told us with a smirk.

"I'm pregnant!" Leah shrieked uncharacteristically.

"Yes, and we'd love it if you both stood up as godparents when the time comes," Eli added.

Bella paled and I walked over to check that she was okay. "Love?"

"Bella, what is it?" Leah asked her.

"I'm sorry, congratulations, both of you…but I'm not sure I can be your baby's godmother," Bella told her.

"Why not?" Leah pressed.

Bella teared up as she tried to find the words to explain it without using the word that would need no further explanation. "I have breast cancer and I don't know if I'll be around long enough to-." Bella broke off and I stepped closer to support her.

"B," Leah gasped, rushing to her to pull her into a hug. She whispered something into her ear that I couldn't hear, and I didn't want to intrude on their moment so I motioned for Eli to follow me into the kitchen.

"How's the leg?" I asked, because besides the limp and a little bit of stiffness, you could hardly tell he was wearing a prosthetic under his jeans.

"Doing better. I still feel twitches every once in a while, which is a weird thing when I'm wearing the prosthetic." I snorted a laugh and Eli immediately became solemn. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't be joking at a time like this."

"Trust me, Eli, we'll need the laughter now more than ever," I said as I opened the fridge to grab us each a beer, returning to the girls with a pair of sodas.

"Anytime you need someone to watch the kids or help out in anyway, you call us. And we will talk more about the beby later, we don't need anything set in stone now," Leah told us as she sat down beside Eli in the living room.

"Edward, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," I told Bella as I followed her into the bedroom.

"I'm just going to order a pizza, but would you mind calling your siblings and asking them to come over for dinner tonight if they can, I'd rather get it all out of the way today and be done with it," she said.

"I can do that, but what do you want to do about Irina and Laurent. I could call them, if you'd like-"

"No, I'll call her this afternoon," Bella told me.

Bella ordered the pizza while we talked about her pregnancy and life in general, Leah asking questions about Bella's diagnosis without pushing, having been here with Bella before.

Leah must have sensed that it was getting to be to much for Bella, because as soon as the pizza was gone they left with a promise to talk soon. We worked together to put the babies down for a nap and then Bella went to call Irina while I called Alice and Rosalie.

Both agreed to come over for dinner, so I popped into the bedroom to give Bella the news when I found her crying on the bed. "What happened when you told Irina?"

"She started crying, and then I started crying. She was planning on coming down this summer to see the family, but now she said she could push it back until it was a better time for us, but I tried to convince her not to change her plans, but I don't think it worked." Bella sighed as she rolled over on the bed.

"We'll work it out, Bella. But as it stands we have my siblings headed here for dinner, I can pick something up if you want." I was hoping to take the pressure off her, but she shook her head.

"If I don't cook dinner, they'll know something's up. I'll make it simple though. What time are they coming?"

"Six o'clock," I told her.

"Then I'm going to throw in one of the frozen lasagnas I made last month, that way it won't take too much effort and we'll have a nice home-cooked meal for when your brothers and sisters show up," she said as she moved to the kitchen to begin her work.

At her request, I called Rosalie and asked her to pick up some Italian bread on her way over, so we wouldn't have to head out for the bread and then I returned to the kitchen to watch her work.

"Rosalie will get the bread after she drops the kids at Mom and Dad's. Emmett's coming from work and Jasper and Alice are coming together. Alice was excited to have an adult night in before she's 'too big' to enjoy it," I mocked my sister's melodramatic turn, but Bella gasped.

"Oh my, God, she has to be close to four and a half months now," Bella whispered. "The last time I saw her she wasn't showing yet, but she's probably getting close if she isn't already."

"We'll see for sure in a few hours, now would you like some help?" I offered.

"No thanks, the salad's almost done and there's little left to do. I'm just going to take a nap while it's cooking."

"Are you feeling okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine, it's just been an emotional afternoon and it's going to get even worse," Bella explained as she threw the last of the salad ingredients into the bowl and sat it in the fridge.

I kept an eye on the babies while Bella went to lie down, and around five o'clock I heard her starting to move around in the bedroom. Putting Abby back in her play pen, I went to check on Bella before Masen woke up.

"Feeling any better?"

"I'm nervous to tell everyone," she admitted. "Everyone we tell makes it a little more real."

"Don't worry, Bella, we'll make it through this together," I whispered as I went to change my shirt and get the high chairs out for the kids.

Six o'clock came faster than we wanted it, and soon everyone was here.

"Lasagna, for me? Mighty Mouse, you shouldn't have," Emmett teased as he hugged Bella.

"I'm never going to outgrow that nickname, am I?" Bella asked as she went to check on dinner.

"Sorry, Bella, Em's nicknames are for life," Rosalie said and I focused my attention on Danica.

Without realizing it, Rosalie had hit the nail on the head, but Bella waited until after dinner to tell everyone. The meal itself went by with lots of banter, but by the end they could feel that something was up so we were officially out of time.

Watching Bella as she told the closest thing she would ever have to brothers and sisters that she had breast cancer was one of the hardest things I would ever do. I felt so damn helpless. Alice and Rosalie cried, pulling her into fierce hugs as they vowed to do everything they could to make things easier. Jasper and Emmett were crying too, both offering what they could as we all sat there and tried to come to grips with what we were up against. I also noticed the way they looked at me, silently promising to support me as much as Bella and for that I was grateful.

They left a little while after our bombshell, giving us a chance to try and come down from our emotionally draining day.

**BPOV**

Monday was spent taking care of the last of the loose ends. Edward went to his lawyer and accountant, as well as meeting with Victoria and his manager. I called Jake and broke the news to him before meeting with Emily. I was lucky that they practically ran the bars one hundred percent on their own, so it wasn't a matter of day to day changes, but it was emotional telling them that I would be stepping back completely while I fought for my life.

That evening, while Edward and were lying in bed, he started to ask me more about what the appointment would be like tomorrow, so I tried to give him the answers he needed. "They're going to discuss the different treatment options, and since the surgeon will be there we'll talk and make sure we're both comfortable with him and if so then he'll schedule the lumpectomy-"

"You mean the surgery that's decided on tomorrow," he said and I sat up to look at him.

"No, I mean the lumpectomy. The only thing that would alter that fact would be Dr. Gerard strongly advising against that, but I can't see that happening. The other parts of the treatment aren't set in stone, but that is," I told him.

"So I don't get a say in this?" Edward huffed.

"Edward, it isn't really a choice for me. The lumpectomy is the only thing that I'm one-hundred percent set on. It's the safest for me and it's my personal preference."

"What, were you just going to spring this on me tomorrow? This is a major decision to make without me, Bella."

"Edward, when I went to my appointment on Friday, the lumpectomy was what I was urged to have. Dr. Banner said he would discuss it with Dr. Gerard and a few colleagues, but we're going on the assumption that I'm having the less invasive surgery."

"I don't understand why you're being so quick to make this decision. It may be clear in your mind, but it isn't in mine," Edward yelled. "Why won't you consider the options, Bella?"

"I have, Edward. A lumpectomy is recommended for early stage cancer because it is less stressful on the body and shows a higher survival rate. I would only agree to a mastectomy under extreme duress and since I've been told by several people that I'm better off with the less radical surgery, then I'm going with it."

"Do you know the rate of women who have lumpectomies only to require a mastectomy down the road?" he asked.

"Do you know that the rate of survival for patients who choose lumpectomy is higher in early stage cancer than it is for those who have mastectomies?" I countered. "Medically speaking it is my best option. I'm sorry if this blindsided you and I'm glad we're talking about this now, but we haven't talked much about the treatment options yet. Besides it being best for me medically, I would have fought for a lumpectomy anyway."

"Why would you fight for a surgery that has a better chance of leaving cancer behind?" he asked me.

"Because, my breasts are the only thing I have left that make me a woman and I refuse to give them up without a fight," I snapped.

"Your breasts don't make you a woman, Bella," Edward remarked but I couldn't stop the tears now.

"Edward, you're a boob man, you've never really tried to hide that fact. Are you telling me that I would be just as attractive with a completely flat chest? I wouldn't even have nipples if they did a radical mastectomy.

"I love the way you look at me like I'm the most beautiful thing in the world, and to see that look wither and die as everything you love about my appearance is destroyed would kill me." I was in tears at the end of my explanation, but there was silence beside me.

"How could you think that your looks are the most important thing to me?" Edward sounded gutted by the question.

"I don't think it's the most important, but I'm not stupid enough to think that it wouldn't matter at all. I already couldn't give you children, but when they've chopped off my breasts and the hair that I've been growing for more than ten years is only a memory, I won't want to look at me, how can I try and force you to. I'm in for the fight of my life and I'm begging you to be in it with me."

Edward released a sigh before turning to me. "Baby, I'm in this with you. Please don't doubt that."

"But," I said, sensing that was going to be his next word.

"If the doctors have changed their recommendation and decide a mastectomy might be better, would you consider it then?" he asked.

"If they said that my best chance was a mastectomy, then I would…as much as I would hate it, I would. But I can do this, Edward. I'm strong enough to do this the way I want," I implored him to believe me.

"And I will be there every day to hold your hand and help you. Now, is there anything else that's been decided on from the last appointment?"

"No," I told him and he seemed to relax.

"Good, thank you for being honest with me about all of this."

"I'm sorry, Edward. Last time I was alone in this so I made the choices and that was that, but now I have you and at the first turn I was shutting you out." The tears started to flow and Edward moved right beside me and pulled me into his arms.

"I know you didn't mean to, and we'll make it through all of this, Bella, we have to."

He held me like that for a while, I didn't remember falling asleep, but I eventually gave in to my exhaustion.

Edward tried to get me to eat something, but I was too stressed to keep anything down. Dr. Banner was having us meet him at his office at the hospital so that we could meet with the other key members of my cancer team and that was what had me worried. Today was a day of answers, some of which I knew I wasn't ready to face.

I got dressed in a fog and then after leaving the kids with Eli, we drove to the hospital for my appointment.

The receptionist gave us directions when we arrived at the front desk, and after navigating the halls we were in another reception area for the cancer wing of the hospital. Dr. Banner's office was easy enough to find, and soon we were sitting in the waiting room anxiously anticipating what would come next.

"Mrs. Cullen, how are you feeling this morning," Dr. Banner asked as he walked in to bring us back to his office.

"Nervous, but otherwise I'm managing," I told him honestly. "This is my husband, Edward. Edward, this is Dr. Banner."

"Doctor," Edward greeted him as he shook his hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Edward. And I'm glad you're here, it will help Bella to understand what she's facing in the weeks and months to come." Dr. Banner opened his office door and let us walk in first before he moved to sit behind his desk.

"I want to start by telling you that I heard back from two of my former colleagues after I sent them your file. One is still working at Sloan-Kettering, and the other is at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, and both have agreed with my assessment of treatment. I know that Dr. Snyder told you to stop taking the hormone replacement therapy, and I'm sure that you're going to start to feel those effects if you haven't begun already, but it's imperative that we cease any additional hormone introduction. I know that you're young to be going into menopause like this, but that is something that can be faced once we've worked on curing the cancer.

"The standard regimen of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation will be the course here, but the specifics of that will be honed as we go along. Today we are going to introduce you to Dr. Gerard, who is the general surgeon that I've asked to consult on your case. If you feel comfortable with him, then he will be the surgeon that will perform your operation. Also, Nurse Denali will stop by to give you a tour of the common areas and talk to you about the beginning of your treatment sessions. She will be the person that you will see the most of here and will be able to answer many of your questions."

I nodded and tried to listen as he explained the schedule, he had mapped it out of us and would be giving us a copy, but his discussion of time tables and CAF, the specific type of chemo drug I would be using, were lost on me at the moment. Sensing my withdrawal, he called Dr. Gerard to come in and speak with us.

"After speaking with Dr. Banner, we should be able to move ahead with the lumpectomy three weeks from today. I know you have an appointment with Dr. Banner next Tuesday, so I will make myself available at that time to answer any other questions about the surgery then."

Edward sighed beside me, and I was suddenly glad that we'd had this conversation last night. I knew he didn't completely understand my fears, but he was what I needed to make it through all of this, and having him there to hold my hand as the doctor told us about the steps to come meant everything.

"So the lumpectomy is March fifth?" Edward asked and Dr. Gerard nodded as he pulled out his phone to mark it on the calendar.

"Excuse me." A beautiful blonde poked her head into the office and was immediately ushered in.

"Tanya, come in," Dr. Banner greeted her. "Bella, Edward, this is Tanya Denali, she will be your Nurse Coordinator and the person who you will have the most interaction with. Tanya, would you like to give them the tour now?"

"If you have anything else you need to discuss, then I can come back. That way I can give them the tour and then walk them out." Tanya smiled, and I tried to return it.

It only took a few more minutes until we were done speaking with the doctors and soon Nurse Denali was giving us the tour. She was very knowledgeable and compassionate as she made sure we were well prepared as she showed us to the area where I would have my chemo treatments, the radiology area, and introduced us to a few of the nurses we would see during my time here. I was sure that I'd become close to her, but at the moment I just wanted to get home.

We said goodbye to the doctors and as soon as we were in the car I saw the emotions flash across his face before he kissed me, filling every crack in my soul as his love healed me.

The rest of our day was spent relaxing and the following day we tried to get things in place. Esme had called to ask about the surgery date, and I gave her all the information we had so far so that she could help out when needed.

The remainder of the week between the two doctor's appointments was spent finishing up the will and getting the rest of the information we needed so that we could ask any last questions at the appointment on Tuesday.

Our second meeting with the cancer team was much better than the first. Edward was able to get his answers and for the first time he seemed to relax a little about where we were going next. With two weeks until my surgery, we started to plan for the coming months.

I found some really great recipes for food that would keep me healthy during chemo and radiation, while Edward was on the phone with the insurance company. That call had me worried, but with the exception of our deductible, we weren't going for any treatments that weren't the norm, so there wasn't a problem there.

We spent a lot of time with family and friends, making the most of the time when I was healthy and energetic, until the morning of March fifth came around.

I woke up early that Tuesday morning, spending the extra time in the nursery as my children slept. At eighteen months they were just starting to become people, their personalities more pronounced as they slowly gained language. We had laughed when, true to form, our Abby first said 'dada' and Masen chose 'mama' as his first word. I couldn't keep the thought out of my mind of the fact that this cancer could take me away from them, not only as an active part of their daily lives, but as they're too young to really make memories, I wouldn't even be a fond thought for them. Edward and the Cullens, along with Leah and Eli, would have to tell them about the person I was, and how desperately I had fought for them.

"Bella, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Edward asked, knowing the reason behind it, but not the specific cause.

"I was just thinking about the kids," I whispered. "If something happens to me, they won't have any memories of me."

"We can do something about that if you want, Bella," Edward offered. "We can record video messages for them so they can see and hear you as often as they want. But I need you to be positive today. No bad thoughts when they take you into surgery."

"You're right. And we can start them these next few days while I'm resting from the surgery, so there are a couple before I have a chance to lose my hair." I hated thinking about that part, having watched my mom go through it, but I knew it was a real possibility. "I'm going to have Alice and Rosalie take me shopping for real hair wigs before I lose my hair. It will make it easier to accept."

"We're stronger than this, Bella, just remember that. Now, do you want to take a shower now, because you'll be stuck with sponge baths for a week or three depending on the sutures," Edward asked, remembering the after surgery list we'd been given at our last appointment.

"As long as you're giving me the sponge baths, I don't think I'll mind too much." I winked at him before checking on the babies again to see that they were sleeping and heading to take that last shower.

The kids blessed us by sleeping until seven, so we could get everything ready and have our time to spend with them before I had to go to the hospital. Esme arrived at nine-thirty ready to take the kids for a sleepover at Granny and Poppy's with Carlisle staying with us.

"Dad, I didn't know you were going to be stopping by," Edward said even more surprised when he didn't follow Esme out.

"I asked him to come. Though he isn't someone who does a lot of them, Carlisle is familiar with the procedure and will be able to keep you calm you down while I'm in there. He wasn't sure that he would be free this morning, which is why I didn't mention it," I explained.

"My patient needed another round of tests performed before her surgery, so it was rescheduled last night, it's why I came along."

Edward sighed as he looked between his father and me, but the answering smile was all the thanks I needed.

**EPOV**

Still a little surprised that my dad would be coming with us; the three of us headed downstairs so that we could make the trip to the hospital. Dad was following us in his car, so we had a little bit of privacy for the drive. I didn't say much, and neither did Bella, giving way to both of our nerves. When we arrived at the outpatient part of the hospital, we were greeted by Dr. Gerard, who didn't seem to mind the fact that we had a surgeon with us.

Bella was taken to get ready, and Dad and I were taken to the waiting room, only to have a nurse come to find me a half an hour later. "Mr. Cullen, you can sit with your wife for a bit while she's waiting for them to be ready for her, if you'd like?"

Thanking her, I walked back into the pre-op area where Bella was lying in a bed, a cap on her head holding in her hair and a gown on in place of her clothing. "Hello, Sweetheart."

"Baby, I just got back from my ultrasound, so they've got me all ready for surgery," she said, referring to the ultrasound needed so they could mark the exact location of the tumor on her skin and the incision guide, even though her tumor could be felt, because he wanted everything to go as smoothly as possible.

After about twenty minutes, they told me I had to return to the waiting room, giving me a bag with Bella's clothes so that I could bring them to her recovery room. Walking back out to where my dad was, we began the waiting game.

Time crawled, seconds taking millennia, minutes seeming to never pass until I was ready to go mad. My dad tried to distract me with no luck until it had been ninety minutes since I'd been kicked out of pre-op. That was when my hands found my hair and my mind started to race.

"Edward, you have to relax. There is no reason to panic," he whispered, but I shook him off.

"It's been ninety minutes and he said it takes fifteen to forty minutes for this procedure," I told him.

"Yes, but Bella wasn't in the OR when you left her. She could have been back there for another half an hour before being taken to the anesthesia room. Then they have to wait for the IV to be set up and then they wheel her into the OR and begin the surgery. Dr. Gerard is thorough, so he will make sure he takes a good margin while not taking more than necessary and he'll have to insert a drain and suture her up."

"You really think so?" I asked.

"I do, mainly because that nurse hasn't been bothered in the last half hour. If something was worse than they had thought, someone would have stopped in to speak to us, or at the least, checked in with her to make sure they knew who Bella's next of kin was if they had to talk to us about something urgently. Give them time to get her settled into recovery and they will tell us when you can go and see her."

"I'm sure you're right," I agreed just as Dr. Gerard came into the room.

"Surgery went well, Edward," he reassured me. "Bella will be moved to recovery and you can visit her, and then once she's met all of the requirements and has been taught proper drain care and goes over her incision instructions she will be free to go home."

"When should I be able to see her?"

"Thirty minutes to an hour depending on the nurse's ability to get her settled. Someone will be by as soon as you can see her."

"Thank you, doctor," I said as I shook his hand.

True to his word, thirty minutes later we were escorted to Bella's curtain partitioned area of the recovery room. She was still asleep from the anesthesia, but she looked so beautiful. After a while, her eyes fluttered and then found mine.

"What did they say?" she whispered.

"That things went well, he will be by in a bit to talk to you about everything," I told her and she smiled.

"Your hair survived, so Carlisle did his job." She laughed and he joined her.

"We had a close call, but I was able to save him from tearing it out," my dad joked at my expense.

Dr. Gerard chose that moment to come in and go over all of her after care. Once again he spoke about how the surgery had been a success and he was happy with what he had found inside considering the size of the tumor, which was on the larger size for Stage Two, but had thankfully not spread beyond her breast. Her pain medication would be filled by my dad on our way home, and we were warned about keeping the kids away from her left side, especially until her drain was removed. That part of her after care didn't sound too pleasant, but it was better than the alternative of her staying in the hospital. Her stitches would dissolve, and the bandage would remain on until her follow up next Tuesday, when hopefully that and the drain would be gone.

She had exercises to do and was told that only sports bras should be worn until she was healed because it would put less pressure on her incision but still offer support. This was all a rehash of everything we'd been told, everything we had noted at home and that my dad would be sure to enforce when he came to check in.

It took most of the afternoon for them to be happy with Bella's alertness and her knowledge of her plan, but eventually they were releasing her. Kissing her soundly once they'd given her the green light to be discharged, we got her changed into her button down top and yoga pants and seated in the wheelchair that would take her to the car. My dad ran to pull it around, and soon he was following us back to the apartment.

It took a lot of maneuvering once she was in bed, but Bella finally found a comfortable spot and dozed off. My dad gave me the prescription and then did something else I didn't expect, he went into the guest room to change into something more comfortable.

"This way, if you have any questions at 2 a.m., you have a surgeon who can tell you that it's normal. Bella felt better knowing that she could turn to me if something was worrying her," he explained.

"Thank you, Dad, for everything," I said.

"No problem, Son. This is just the beginning and I'll be here for whatever you two need."

With that comforting thought, I went to take a nap beside Bella, suddenly exhausted by the events of the day.


	15. A New Friend Gained, An old Fear Faced

*Quick note, I made a flub last chapter, when Bella told Leah about her cancer, it was after Leah told her that she and Eli were engaged, which I had forgotten I'd moved up in my timeline so it happened in chapter twelve, so I changed it to them asking Edward and Bella to be the godparents for the baby that Leah is pregnant with. If you want to go back, it is early in the chapter, but if not, just know that Leah's pregnant, about a month and a half behind Alice. Thanks to Siriusmunchkin for making the catch.*

A/N: Thank you so much for your patience, it takes a while to write these chapters, but they are coming. The summer has been busy and I've been doing a lot of writing, the proof of that will be coming in the next several weeks as some of the chapters are finished and posted. Love to Mizzdee for always working to get me chapters fast and being there almost every night so I can get at least two hours with my words.

Just as a quick guide because a few people have asked for updated ages since the time has jumped a bit in the last few chapter, as of this point in the fic (this chapter starts in March) Bella is 29, Edward is 30, and the twins are 19 months.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Chapter 14 - A New Friend Gained, an Old Fear Faced**

**BPOV**

The first week after the surgery was tough on me. I was sore and the drain was a pain in the ass, but everyone was wonderful about stopping in and trying to keep my spirits up.

Edward had met with Victoria last Friday, and she had agreed that he wouldn't be pushed to begin his next novel until my treatments were done. Now I knew that he would probably write some as a way to channel his feelings, but without a deadline he could work on it at his leisure.

The kids were a little confused about how I had to keep them at bay a bit, but they were resilient and started to approach me on my right side by the time the week was done.

My sponge baths were Edward's favorite part of our nightly routine, because it was his chance to pamper me. He even found a tray online that allowed him to wash my hair in the sink while I sat in a chair so that I didn't have to bend at a weird angle to get under the spray.

For the first week of my cancer treatment, we were holding on pretty well, and now it was time to go to my first follow up appointment.

Edward and I left the kids with Eli and Leah, and we made our way down to Dr. Gerard's office at Virginia Mason. We checked in and then headed to the waiting room so that we could hopefully pass the time quickly until he was able to see us.

The main reason for today's appointment was to check on the incision and to determine if the drain was ready to come out, something I was praying would be the case. Edward seemed to be able to sense my unease, because he reached over and took my hand, kissing my knuckles as he held it in front of his mouth. The gentle brush of his lips against my hand was enough to sooth me until the nurse called my name.

She led us to the exam room and I removed my top and bra so I could put on the gown that was waiting for me, and a moment later Dr. Gerard was in to see us.

"Good morning, Bella, Edward," he said as he shook our hands.

"Good morning," we both responded as he moved to put on a pair of gloves.

"How have you been doing this past week?" he asked.

I proceeded to tell him about the drainage that I'd kept track of and any pain or tenderness I'd felt. He did his exam as I spoke, prodding around the drain and incision before looking up at me with a smile.

"You seem to be healing quite well. The drain has done its job and I'd like to remove it today." He turned to Edward. "Would you mind stepping out for a moment while I take out the drain?"

Edward smiled at me before stepping out at the edge of the curtain and pulling it closed behind him. Dr. Gerard made small talk with me as he worked, and soon he was telling me to get dressed again while he stepped out to bring Edward back in.

Once they were back and I was fully clothed, he made a few notations on my chart and then regarded me warmly. "From what I can see so far, there doesn't seem to be any reason for us to push back the start of your chemo. We'll continue these Tuesday morning appointments for the next two weeks, and if everything is healed you will be starting your first chemo treatment on April 1st. Do you have any questions for me?"

"No, thank you, Dr. Gerard," I told him as he once again shook mine and Edward's hands and then walked us out to the waiting room.

Edward led me back to the car and walked around to his door before he climbed and took my hand. "How are you doing?"

Shrugging, I gave his hand a squeeze. "The fact that everything checked out makes me feel better, and the drain being gone is a relief…but this is the first few feet in the marathon."

"Well then, this is a good start, and whatever comes next we will handle. Now, I know the girls were talking about wanting to take you wig shopping, have they set anything up yet?" I asked.

"I think they're taking me next week, we haven't set up anything solid yet," I explained.

The silence that filled the car after that wasn't awkward, it was just us both processing what was milling around in our heads.

Having a bit of energy when we got home, after Eli and Leah left, I made some meals that could be frozen and reheated later. Edward went off to work on something, keeping the door open in case the kids or I needed him.

The next couple of days passed without much change. I was taking it easy, Edward was attentive and loving, and the kids were enjoying having their parents around all the time to play with them.

Alice called me on Thursday, asking if I wanted to go shopping on Saturday, and since I didn't have anything going on I told her that was fine.

While I was glad that I was getting a wig now, knowing that I would be more self conscious once the hair started to fall out, I felt a little like I was expecting it to happen, but given the type and rigorous nature of my chemo, I sort of was expecting it to happen.

Rosalie and Alice wanted to pick me up, but I told them I would meet them at the store because I wanted to do some other shopping before I met them.

Having read a lot of forums on the various cancer sites, I knew that I might do better with comfortable clothes for when the chemo had me worn out and battling a dozen different side-effects. So for a good part of the morning, I went clothes shopping and then got some unscented lotions and some other products that were recommended. I'd yet to sign in with a name and join any of the forums, but I knew at some point I would.

Another thing I'd done was let my readers know that I was facing some medical issues, not wanting to go into too many details yet. Not that it would somehow clue them in to who I was, but I was getting enough sympathy while they were in the dark, my inbox overflowing with private messages and well wishes.

Realizing that it was almost time to meet the girls at the wig store, I drove to that part of town and parked the car. They were both there when I walked in and the saleslady was quick to see if I needed anything after the girls said their hellos.

"I'm looking for a wig or two," I told her and she looked at me for a moment.

"Are you looking for something completely different? Or is this meant to match your current hair for medical reasons?"

Could she tell by looking at me that I was sick?

"The reason I'm asking," she interrupted my thoughts, "is because I need to know if we'll be sitting the wig on your hair after it's been tucked and pinned onto your head, or if you'll be wearing a cap and then sitting the wig almost directly on your scalp. It effects how the wig sits, and also, if it's an everyday wig, I would suggest either a human hair wig, or one of the more realistic looking synthetics."

"I have cancer and I'll be starting chemotherapy in a few weeks, so I wanted to be prepared before the need arises," I explained and she nodded.

"Okay, with that being the case I can show you the kanekalon and human hair wigs, as they will be the best options for you and we'll also discuss the price differences so you can make a decision."

Thinking back to Edward's mandate that I not worry about the cost when it came to things like this, I told the girl as much as she led me over to the section that had human hair wigs. Rosalie and Alice came over while I looked at the different options.

"Do I look sick?" I asked them. "Because she immediately asked if I was looking for a wig for medical purposes."

"We chose this wig shop because it's higher end and deals more with everyday wigs that will hold up well. Because of that most people don't buy them unless they have money or a real need," Alice explained.

"Oh, okay, because if people can tell I'm sick now, I'd hate to see what they think after a few treatments," I tried to joke, but I couldn't make it that believable.

The woman came back to escort me to one of the corners of the shop where she had several wigs set up around a chair. "For now, pull your hair into a low ponytail and we'll put a cap on so that you see how it will sit on your head."

I did as she requested and once I was wearing the cap she placed the first wig on my head. "I picked a few wigs that are close to your natural hair, but if you want to be adventurous I can get you other styles."

"No, I'd really like to stay close to my regular color, but maybe a shorter wig also, just because it might be easier when I get hot," I offered and she nodded.

"We can definitely see to that. Now, I'm going to get you a mirror, so why don't you play with the wig a little and see how it feels."

I ran my fingers through it, and although it was nice, it still didn't feel right, and when I saw it on my head as I looked at my reflection, I knew that I wanted to go a different direction.

"I can tell by your expression that you're not a fan of the synthetic, so why don't we try a human hair wig next." She removed the first and then situated a new wig in its place. It took her a minute to primp it, but then she picked up the mirror and showed it to me. The difference was night and day and immediately I knew that the human wig was the only one I would go with.

"This is much better," I told her.

While she went to pick out a few other wigs, I looked over where the girls were, wondering what they were doing. What I saw really bothered me. They might have thought they were giving me space while I had my consultation, but looking over and seeing them playing with the wigs like it was Halloween as I was preparing for my body to continue to destroy itself was too much.

The woman returned with a few more human wigs and I ignored my sisters-in-law so I could focus on myself. It took a few tries before I found a short wig that I felt confident in, and then I chose a longer one that fell a little below my shoulders.

"Going too much longer, even with human hair will tangle way too easily," the woman explained and I nodded in response.

After a few more minutes of explaining proper wig care and boxing up my purchases, I paid and slipped out without saying goodbye to the girls, afraid of the possible meltdown I felt coming.

Driving across town, I held it together until I was in the house. Edward was in the nursery from what I could hear, so I went straight to the closet, hoping to put my purchases away and get in the shower before he saw me and asked what was wrong.

"Hey, Bella, how was shopping with the girls?" His question was so simple, but it completely set me off. The tears were fast and unrelenting as I curled in on myself, Edward's body right behind me to offer support and help me to the bed. "Baby, you're scaring me, what happened?"

"I know that I'm being over sensitive, but we were there shopping for wigs that I'm going to need once I lose my hair, and they were in a different part of the store playing with the cheap synthetic wigs like it was for a fucking costume party. We've talked about how sensitive losing all of these markers of a woman is making me, and seeing them make light of a very trying thing for me it just…" I trailed off, unwilling to admit how much it hurt, but a knock at the door kept Edward from responding.

"You go into the bathroom and get everything ready for a bath, I'll see who that is," he offered, closing the bedroom door nearly all the way as he went into the main part of the condo. I pulled out my towel and the pillow I had that would stick to our large whirlpool tub and then turned on the water, letting it fill. I could hear some raised voices so I moved into the bedroom to see what I could make out from the living room.

"You two don't get it," Edward yelled. "Bella is terrified of what's happening to her and what will be happening in the months to come. Every single day some new change occurs and Bella tried to deal with it. And she doesn't always win that battle with her emotions. Today was a big day for her. Admitting that the chemo might take her hair is one of her biggest fears besides being scared that she can't beat this, and you went in there like it was a game."

"She didn't say anything to us about it," Rosalie said, almost sounding surprise by his statement, but Edward didn't let up.

"She shouldn't have to. If you had been there beside her while the saleswoman was helping her, then you would have noticed her apprehension. If you had stuck by her like I foolishly assumed you would when you agreed to take her, then none of this would have happened. But it did, and you'll have to find a way to make that up to her another day."

"We can't talk to her now?" Alice asked, sounding upset.

"No, my wife is taking a bath and trying to relax. You can call her tomorrow."

I closed the bathroom door behind me and shut off the water as it was halfway up the sides and climbed into the tub. The water was about an inch or two above my hips and about as high as I could dare with my incision. There were a few doors closing outside in the main part of the house before Edward knocked on the door.

"Are you ready for your bath?" he asked, sitting the baby monitor down.

"Thank you for what you did out there," I told him. "You didn't have to be that harsh, but I appreciate that you stood up for me to them."

"You're my wife, Bella, and I will always put you first, and they were way in the wrong on this one. I love you."

"I love you, too," I whispered as he dipped the washcloth into the water and then lathered it up with soap.

We didn't speak for several minutes as he carefully washed my body. His eyes followed the movements of his hands as they worked as he cleaned and then rinsed my body. When he was done, he helped me change into my pj's and then pulled my vanity chair over to the sink. We attached the tray that would catch the runoff from him washing my hair and then continue our routine. Once again, Edward is reverent in his actions and soon my hair is wrapped in a towel and we're moving into the bedroom.

Just like every night that he washes my hair, he takes the time to brush it before allowing me to tie it into a ponytail. Once he's done he got up, moving to stand in front of me. "I'm here for you, Bella, whatever you need. I promise you, if it's wig shopping, or picking up clothes that are more comfortable once you're in treatment, to weird foods to keep you healthy…I will do everything in my power to help you. We'll take all the help that we're offered, but not at your expense. I will not let them make you feel insignificant again," he promised.

"I believe you, Edward, and I love you even more than I already did because of it," I admitted freely.

**EPOV**

The rest of the month of March passed without any other incidents. The girls were quick to apologize, though Rosalie's tone in telling Bella that she should have just told them that she was upset almost had me interrupting their conversation the next morning. Rosalie was being defensive, and I would give her that this time, but Bella was my only concern and I had no problem telling my brother to control his woman.

On Tuesday, Bella had gotten the green light from Dr. Gerard that she'd healed well enough and was ready to start chemotherapy. From that appointment, we went up to Dr. Banner who had Nurse Tanya with him so they could prepare us for Bella's chemo the next Monday. As they'd explained when we first met to discuss her treatment, she would undergo one chemo treatment every three weeks with weekly blood work to make sure she was still doing okay.

Our hospital had a great system for how they handled the person you brought to be with you during part of the chemotherapy session. For the first half an hour, Bella would be alone with Tanya and the other patients, but as long as I was healthy enough to not cause any health concerns for the other patients or Bella, I would be allowed to sit with her for a while, then near the end of her treatment I would have to go outside and wait for her to return to the post-treatment area where I could stay with her until she was okayed to go home.

That was our last real week of calm, and we both tried to embrace it. The twins seemed to sense that something was going on, but they were still too young to really understand.

Monday morning came too quickly for my liking and with Bella's appointment at one in the afternoon; we tried to have a normal morning.

Breakfast was light, mainly because neither one of us could eat. Playing with the kids distracted us until my mom arrived to watch them at our house for a while before taking them for the night. With it being Bella's first experience with her medication, it seemed best to have the kids with my parents so my undivided attention could be on my wife.

Without the kids to keep us distracted, Bella started to go through her little bag that she was bringing to her chemo session. "Do you think that you're just going to want to read, or should I bring a deck of cards or something?"

"Bring whatever you want, Love, I'm there for you," I told her.

"Yes, and you're going to be bored out of your skull," she groaned. "What if I fall asleep? Are you going to just stare at me for the next two plus hours?"

"I'll bring my bag, so I have my iPad and my notebooks, and you should bring the same," I told her.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"You never know if something for your story might strike you, so you should bring something to write in. I could always type it up for you later, or Leah could if you'd feel more comfortable with that. I know she's the one who got you into it, and you said that she has your information for the site," I rambled a little.

"Yeah, I did that in case I'm not able to post for a while, so she could put something on my profile so people wouldn't be wondering what happened to me. I've told them about the diagnosis in general terms and the outpouring has been amazing. The messages and reviews with prayers and well wishes are so amazing. It's hard to imagine that these people care that much about someone they've never met, but they do and it means the world to me."

"And you'll get to tell them that when you are finally found to be cancer free," I told her, needing her to believe it.

"Yes, I will," she agreed and a little while later we were on our way.

Tanya was waiting for us when we signed in, taking Bella back right away and telling me that someone would be around shortly for me. Sure enough, another nurse brought me into another exam room so that I could be checked out and once they were happy with how healthy I was, I was led into the chemotherapy room.

I was surprised to notice that forty-five minutes had passed since Bella had gone off, but when I walked over they were getting her settled next to woman with a beautiful scarf wrapped around her head.

"Oh, this, you can order them on Amazon pre-formed, but my husband was a serviceman so whenever he went somewhere for training or a deployment he would bring me back scarves from his trips, this was from the two years we were stationed at the Naval base in Hawaii. I actually got to live near the base with him that time, it was pretty amazing."

"Oh, Edward," Bella called me over, "this is Maggie. She's on a different type of chemo, so she's on her fourth of ten treatments, but she was just giving me a few tips for first timers." It was so wonderful to see her happy to have made a friend that was willing to show her the ropes, and it seemed that Maggie wanted someone to talk to also.

"It's nice to meet you, Maggie, and thanks for helping Bella through her first treatment."

"It's no problem, the last few patients who are in here at this time have finished, so I get lonely during the second half of my session," she explained.

"How long are your sessions?" I asked.

"About six hours, so you're coming in around hour three for me. This is when I tend to start snacking, the nausea doesn't usually hit me until the next day, but that's different for every person. If you can eat during the treatment without getting sick, I would take advantage of that."

"You can eat in here?" Bella asked.

"You'd be surprised how quickly this can turn into a cafeteria when there are a lot of patients at the same time," Maggie told us. "Now, you have my number if you ever want to talk, and you can ask me anything you want today, I really am an open book when it comes to this, but for the moment I'm going to let you settle in."

"Maggie, is your husband going to be by later?" I asked, wondering why she was alone in the first place.

"No, I'm a widow, actually. He survived Iraq only to be killed by a drunk driver. But he got to meet our Bree, so I'll be able to share all of those stories with her."

Maggie smiled and Bella was quick to reach for her phone. "Do you have a picture of her? These are our little miracles. I had cancer years ago and was forced to have a hysterectomy, but thankfully I was able to save some eggs and my best friend was our surrogate."

The two swapped phones and Bella showed me the picture of Bree sitting on a swing in a park somewhere around the city. "She's beautiful, how old is she?"

"Two and a half, and she such a little mush. She's a hugger, something you'll see when you get a chance to meet her."

"I can't wait," Bella beamed.

Tanya walked back in with Bella's prepared IV and attached it, starting her three hour treatment. We talked on and off with Maggie, joked, and played games, before I ran to get Bella a snack. It seemed that Bella was doing well with her stomach, so I went to get her some peanut butter crackers, just in case they rebelled later.

The fact that Bella had a friend to help her through treatments was a huge blessing. Although Bella had had cancer in the past, she never had to undergo any treatment beyond her surgery, so she was facing this for the first time.

Soon after she ate her crackers, Maggie grew tired and drifted off to sleep for part of her treatment, while we were still the only three people in the room, it gave Bella and I a chance to talk.

"How do you feel so far?" I asked her.

"Okay I guess," she said. "Although I do feel a little sleepy."

"Then take a nap. I'll be fine sitting here and reading while you sleep," I told her.

"Okay." She yawned and I kissed her forehead as she drifted off.

I watched Bella sleep as the time ticked by, and soon enough Tanya had returned. "They're both sleeping, that's a good sign."

"Is it really?" I didn't know that it mattered that much.

"It means that they don't have any side effects that are so bothersome that it keeps them up. For some patients, the chemotherapy side effects can start bothering them before they're even finished with the dose. For others it won't bother them for a few days. But if she's made it through her treatment and hasn't felt too poorly, then at least she has that going in her favor."

"Well then, I'm very happy to hear that. Is she done now?" I asked, surprised that time had passed so quickly.

"She is," Tanya said. "Maggie has another thirty minutes, so by the time I'm finished with Bella it will be time for me to go through her post-treatment care."

"Thank goodness. Should I wake her?" I asked.

"Please," Tanya responded as I brushed my hand up and down Bella's arm.

"Wake up, Sweetheart, you're all done," I whispered.

"What? I'm done?" She yawned.

"You are, Bella. Now if you can just stay still I will unhook your IV and then we can go over your after care," Tanya said as she made quick work of Bella's IV. From there she gave Bella a cup of water and told her to sip it slowly to rehydrate her mouth a bit before giving her the oral chemotherapy medication. "Good, I'm glad that you're not having any problems with nausea today."

"These are all of the possible side effects?" Bella asked a little worriedly as she looked at the sheet Tanya gave her.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you'll have all of them. We simply give you the list so that you know that you should contact either me of Dr. Banner so we can help you determine if you need to stop by the hospital or if a home treatment is best." Tanya continued to work as she explained this to Bella. From there she checked her blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, pulse, and temperature before giving her some anti-nausea medication and releasing her.

Maggie had just woken up as we packed Bella's things, so the pair of them hugged and Bella promised to call before we left. On the ride home, Bella was quiet, but after everything that had happened today, I could understand her needing time to process.

When we got home, she was still feeling good, so I decided to take advantage of that and reheat one of the meals she had prepared while she sat down to play with the kids. Abby was curled into her side while Masen was shaking his butt along with the TV show they were watching. He was so animated, Bella was laughing at his hijinks, which only made him do it more. Much like myself, my son will do anything to make his mother smile.

"She seems to be doing well," my mom said as she joined me in the kitchen. She had used the momentary distraction of the kids to pack her car and would be leaving in a few.

"For now, but they warned us that she may not start to feel the symptoms until tomorrow, so even though I know that she'll fight you taking the kids tonight, I think it's best."

"Of course, and if she is feeling poorly and you need another day, I'm fine with that. Your father and I are happy to take the kids," Mom told me.

"What about your clients?" I asked.

"I'm only doing some of the more high profile clients now, the rest I'm letting my team of designers do. It's one of the perks of being the owner of the company, I get paid something even if I don't do the work," she teased.

"So you have more free time for the grandkids?" I asked, knowing that my mom wanted her quality time with the kids.

"And your father, we should still enjoy our lives while we're young." My mom looked wistfully at Bella and the kids before she walked over to them. "All right, I'm going to let you guys enjoy dinner while I take these little ones home with me."

"Esme, I'm feeling fine, really," Bella started to protest, but my mother was holding firm.

"But you may not be later, dear. Let's just try it tonight and we'll play it by ear from here on out."

With a sigh, Bella kissed the kids goodnight and watched as my mom left with them. I finished up dinner and Bella set the table so we could eat it. Dinner was quiet, but Bella seemed to be holding something in.

"Baby, talk to me," I pleaded after the dishes were in the dishwasher.

"I'm just trying to deal with everything, Edward. I'm so tired, but I haven't done anything. I know it's a side effect, but I came out of the treatment feeling okay so I thought I was getting a pass. I just remember how bad it was for my mom. How I cut off my hair and donated it when she had to shave her head. How sick she would get, and the days that she couldn't even get out of bed. I watched her waste away."

Bella's sobs tore at my heart, so after I reached her, I scooped her into my arms and carried her to our bed and pulled her close. "Bella, we will fight this with everything we have. And I will do anything that you ask me to. If you lose your hair, I'll shave my head with you, I'll hold the garbage can while you throw up and I will give you sponge baths and make you all of the health food that you researched. I would take this on for you, if I could, Love. You know that I would die if it meant that you could live a long and healthy life with our children."

"Edward, please don't say that." She cried harder into my chest. "I love that you're willing to do everything you said, and I would be interested to see you with a little buzz cut going on, but we will take it one day at a time. Today it's just being extra tired. The rest will come or it won't, but we can't sit here and wait for it."

"So we'll just curl up here and watch a movie and wait to see what happens tomorrow," I confirmed. "I can do that."

Putting in _Pride and Prejudice_ because I knew she loved the Matthew guy who's in it, and because I couldn't make it through the six hour Colin Firth version tonight, I snuggled behind Bella and eventually drifted off to sleep.

The day after her treatment, the nausea hit, and though the medication helped, it sapped the strength out of her. We went for the follow-up blood work and Dr. Banner came down to check on her, saying that besides her side effects, she was doing well after her first dose. My mom kept the kids another night, before my dad dropped them off and checked on Bella.

"There isn't anything I can do that isn't already being done. She just has to take it easy until her next treatment," my dad told me and I got annoyed.

"I hate this," I hissed. "This is just the beginning and she's already suffering. What is it going to be like six months from now when we're nearing the end of this?"

"No one said this is easy for either of you, but you have to let others in. Your sister and Rosalie are distraught about how they're not able to be there for Bella and you-"

"Then they should have been a little smarter in how they acted. She's a little raw right now, and they're forgiven, but Bella needs a little more time to pass before she's going to bring them into the center of this," I told him.

"I understand, Son, but know that they do love her and if either of you need anything, they're there for you. The guys too. Maybe a round of golf or something would do you a little good when things get to be too much," he offered.

"I will consider it, but for the moment I have to get back to my wife."

The week continued to pass, but thankfully the nausea began to fade and the exhaustion was the only thing that seemed to come crashing down on my girl before the end of the day. It was the last day of Bella's first week post treatment that the bottom fell out.

She was in the bathroom, when I heard the clattering of something hitting the tile floor. Running into the room, I saw her brush on the floor with a clump of hair stuck to it.

"Bella," I whispered as I crossed the room to her.

"It just felt like a knot, I didn't even think about it until I felt the hair give way and saw how much came out." She broke down and I led her out of the bathroom and back to the bedroom.

"It isn't noticeable, babe, I can't even tell where it came from," I said honestly. It was a decent chunk, but it wasn't a bald spot or anything yet.

"It's just the beginning," she told me. "I'll lose a decent chunk until I lose it all."

"Would you want to shave it now, or wait until you see how much it thins?" I asked. I would help her with whichever choice she made.

"Wait, I couldn't deal with that today."

Hugging her close, we left the bedroom and spent the day with our children.

Monday, Bella was showering when a large amount of hair accumulated at the shower drain.

On Tuesday, she woke up to find it on her pillow.

By Wednesday the loss was evident and she was in the guest room because she wanted to be alone. I hated that she was pulling away from me, but I knew something I could do to ease her into the next step of dealing with her hair loss.

Peeking into the room, I saw her asleep on the bed, so I took the baby monitor with me while the kids napped and got to work in our bathroom.

I took the trimmer and turned it on, focusing on the gentle humming. We would do this together, just like everything else we'd had to face so far. I was looking at the instructions, seeing the diagram for a complicated crew cut with layers, but I decided to stick to something simple. I knew that if I did it short enough, the hair being the same length wouldn't matter, so I found the guide for a quarter of an inch and snapped it on. Placing the clipper at the center of my forehead, I pushed it back straight and even, feeling the hair start to fall away as I reached the crown. I did several passes across the top of my head and then went to the base of my skull and cut the back of my head. It took me a little time make sure I hadn't missed any spots or left patches of long hair, but once I was done, I went to get the broom so I could clean up the bathroom.

"Edward, what did you do?" Bella asked as I walked into the living room.

I hadn't expected her to be up so soon after crying herself to sleep, but it was time to explain myself.

"I promised you that I would cut my hair when the time came that you lost yours to the chemotherapy. I know that you might not be ready to shave the remaining hair off, but I wanted to show you that I meant what I said."

Bella walked over and rubbed her hand along my scalp, sending tiny pieces of hair flying everywhere as they were dislodged from what little hair I had left. "I like it, it's fuzzy."

I couldn't help but laugh at her comment, which broke whatever cloud had been hanging over her because she giggled along with me. I followed her as she went into our closet and pulled out one of the pre-formed head wraps she'd bought and then turned to me.

"I think that I'm ready to shave it. It isn't like there's a lot left, and it means that I won't be as self-conscious about it."

"You're sure," I asked her, because I didn't want her to regret her choice.

"Yeah. Maybe once we're passed this I won't feel like I need to stay cooped up in the house," she commented and I pulled her to my side.

"You go out when you're ready. No one is going to rush you," I told her.

"I should go have lunch with the girls. I haven't seen Alice or Rose since they apologized, and I don't want them to think I'm still holding it against them." I could tell it was an attempt to placate them, not her wish to be out in public with her newest development since beginning treatment.

"They can wait, now why don't we grab your chair and I'll take care of this."

Moving silently, Bella got her vanity chair and sat it in the middle of the bathroom. Using the same sure strokes I did for my own head, I began shaving off Bella's remaining hair. I switched to the smallest comb, knowing that I would be too afraid of cutting her without a guide and the tiny lengths of hair would fall out without too much notice. At least it wouldn't be to the rest of us.

Once I was finished, Bella ran her hands over her head, the tears falling faster than the hair had.

"Are you okay, Love?" I asked her.

Looking up at me, she offered me a watery smile. "Not yet, but I will be."

**E/N: Lots happened here, and I used a lot of research to figure this part of the story out. I know quite a few cancer survivors, so some of this came from their personal experiences, but once the chemo does begin to attack the hair follicles, the hair loss can happen pretty quickly. Hair's fast growth rate is what makes it susceptible to the chemo drugs, because while some are more specialized, others will attack any rapidly reproducing cells. **


End file.
